Environmental Law
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to:
· Examine environmental protection within different legal systems -International, European, and national - highlighting the evolution of legal principles and the most important regulations.
· Explore the administrative organization in environmental matters, describing the role of public institutions at different levels (European, national, regional, and local) and of environmental associations in environmental protection.
· Provide students with an in-depth understanding of administrative activity in environmental matters, analyzing the specificities of administrative procedures involving environmental interests, environmental procedures in a strict sense (EIA, SEA, IPPC), the right of access to environmental information, emergency management, and liability for environmental damage.
· Analyze selected special topics in environmental law, including climate change, biodiversity protection, and deforestation.
· Examine environmental protection within different legal systems -International, European, and national - highlighting the evolution of legal principles and the most important regulations.
· Explore the administrative organization in environmental matters, describing the role of public institutions at different levels (European, national, regional, and local) and of environmental associations in environmental protection.
· Provide students with an in-depth understanding of administrative activity in environmental matters, analyzing the specificities of administrative procedures involving environmental interests, environmental procedures in a strict sense (EIA, SEA, IPPC), the right of access to environmental information, emergency management, and liability for environmental damage.
· Analyze selected special topics in environmental law, including climate change, biodiversity protection, and deforestation.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
· It is desirable that students demonstrate a solid understanding of the principles and the most important rules governing environmental protection across different legal systems (international, European, and national), both in terms of organizational and functional aspects.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
· It is desirable that students demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of environmental law to address practical cases using appropriate legal tools.
Autonomy of judgement
· It is desirable that students demonstrate a critical capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policies in different legal contexts and propose suitable legal solutions to environmental issues, taking into account the interactions between disciplines in different legal systems.
Communication skills
· Students are expected to acquire the ability to communicate legal concepts related to environmental protection clearly and appropriately in academic and professional contexts, arguing coherently and rigorously on complex legal issues related to environmental protection.
Learning skills
· Students are expected to acquire the ability to independently deepen their understanding of environmental law topics (using normative, jurisprudential, and doctrinal sources) to adapt their knowledge to new developments.
· It is desirable that students demonstrate a solid understanding of the principles and the most important rules governing environmental protection across different legal systems (international, European, and national), both in terms of organizational and functional aspects.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
· It is desirable that students demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of environmental law to address practical cases using appropriate legal tools.
Autonomy of judgement
· It is desirable that students demonstrate a critical capacity to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policies in different legal contexts and propose suitable legal solutions to environmental issues, taking into account the interactions between disciplines in different legal systems.
Communication skills
· Students are expected to acquire the ability to communicate legal concepts related to environmental protection clearly and appropriately in academic and professional contexts, arguing coherently and rigorously on complex legal issues related to environmental protection.
Learning skills
· Students are expected to acquire the ability to independently deepen their understanding of environmental law topics (using normative, jurisprudential, and doctrinal sources) to adapt their knowledge to new developments.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
- Introductory notions of public law and the different legal systems (International, European, and Italian)
- Environmental protection in International law
- Environmental protection in EU law
- Environmental protection in Italian law: the environment in the Constitution; the Environmental Code; public and private actors working for environmental protection; administrative activities for environmental protection (procedural peculiarities, an overview of environmental procedures, the right of access to environmental matters, emergency management), liability for environmental damage.
- Analysis of some of the most significant special sectors.
- Environmental protection in International law
- Environmental protection in EU law
- Environmental protection in Italian law: the environment in the Constitution; the Environmental Code; public and private actors working for environmental protection; administrative activities for environmental protection (procedural peculiarities, an overview of environmental procedures, the right of access to environmental matters, emergency management), liability for environmental damage.
- Analysis of some of the most significant special sectors.
Prerequisites for admission
No preliminary competences are required to attend this course.
Teaching methods
Regular attendance is highly recommended.
The course includes lectures, in-depth seminars, and in-class presentations of case studies.
The course includes lectures, in-depth seminars, and in-class presentations of case studies.
Teaching Resources
The teaching materials consist of:
- F. Fracchia, Environmental law. Principles, Definitions and Protection models, Editoriale Scientifica, 2018 (available for purchase at: https://editorialescientifica.it/prodotto/environmental-law-2/)
- additional teaching materials will be uploaded on Ariel
- F. Fracchia, Environmental law. Principles, Definitions and Protection models, Editoriale Scientifica, 2018 (available for purchase at: https://editorialescientifica.it/prodotto/environmental-law-2/)
- additional teaching materials will be uploaded on Ariel
Assessment methods and Criteria
For attending students, the exam will consist of two parts:
- a partial written test
and
- an in-class presentation on a specific topic of environmental law.
For non-attending students: written exam
- a partial written test
and
- an in-class presentation on a specific topic of environmental law.
For non-attending students: written exam
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)