Justice and Environment

15/06/2026

New platform to report breach of rights

An ongoing EU-funded project called ENVI Rights has completed setting up a platform for reporting breaches of rights of Environmental Human Rights Defenders. These rights stem from Art. 11 and Art. 12 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. These are the rights to information, free expression, assembly and association.

Now you can safely report any breach of these rights via the following secure platform which was launched at the First European Forum of Environmental Human Rights Defenders (held on 3-4 June in Strasbourg):

https://envirightsreport.volontariatotorino.it/home

The platform offers 6 languages currently (English, French, German, Italian, Greek and Hungarian).

WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE REPORT ANY BREACH OF RIGHTS YOU KNOW ABOUT USING THE ABOVE PLATFORM.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have a question, a comment or a suggestion.

Funded by the European Union.
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10/04/2026

Our child rights project is coming to an end, so we’re holding an online closing event on April 29. The program is not yet final, but we know that the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, Child Rights International, an Austrian lawyer representing children in climate litigation, and we, the staff of Justice and Environment, will all speak there.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-rights-of-children-in-europe-tickets-1987132384454?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=email&utm_medium=sparkpost&utm_campaign=postpublish

Funded by the European Union.
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08/04/2026

The agenda of our child rights project's online closing event is ready.

The registration link and the Zoom link can be found in the first comment.

Funded by the European Union.
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02/04/2026

Our child rights project is coming to an end, so we’re holding an online closing event on April 29. The program is not yet final, but we know that the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, Child Rights International, an Austrian lawyer representing children in climate litigation, and we, the staff of Justice and Environment, will all speak there.

The registration link and the Zoom link can be found in the first comment.

Funded by the European Union.
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02/04/2026

Read the second newsletter of the EnvirRights project here

https://justiceandenvironment.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NEWSLETTER-2-ENVIRIGHTS.pdf

The general objective of the EnviRights project is to strengthen the promotion of the right to freedom of expression and demonstration in the context of youth-led (and not only) environmental activism within the European Union, in line with articles 11 and 12 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, by empowering and supporting environmental activists, better monitoring the respect of their rights and by fostering democratic dialogue with and awareness raising of media operators, public authorities and policy makers.

Funded by the European Union.
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24/02/2026

The EU’s climate policy – caught between competing priorities

Jan Dusik, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action – responding to the question of where EU climate policy implementation stands in 2026 - said that we are currently not meeting the commitments we made in the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. We are not there yet and we need to increase our efforts. Moreover, in this situation, we cannot choose between decarbonization, the economy, security, or social considerations. The EU must keep all of these in mind at the same time.

In order for the climate transition to also be a just transition, human rights, including those enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, must be taken into account. This can ensure that vulnerable groups are not disadvantaged in the process.

The full recording is available in English here: https://youtu.be/ADteH5d78E8

Funded by the European Union.
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Video message by Jan Dusik, Deputy Director-General of Directorate-General for Climate Action of the EU on a rights based approach to climate neutrality and ...

18/02/2026

Conference on the practical application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the protection of human rights and the environment in Poland

The Charter of Fundamental Rights remains one of the key tools for protecting human rights, the environment and democracy in the European Union, but its potential in Poland is still not being fully exploited. The challenge for the coming years is not so much to ‘invent’ new rights, but to consistently, consciously and courageously draw on those that already exist.

Read more about it here: https://justiceandenvironment.org/news-posts/conference-on-the-practical-application-of-the-charter-of-fundamental-rights-in-the-protection-of-human-rights-and-the-environment-in-poland/

Funded by the European Union.
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During the conference, expert panellists discussed the application of the Charter in strategic litigation, national legislation, and the implementation of European funds in the context of future political, technological, and climate challenges. The opening questions already showed that the Charter i...

16/02/2026

EU's Fundamental Rights: Citizens' Secret Weapon in Court in Bulgaria

Do you want clarity on where renewable energy projects can and cannot be built? Where concrete can be poured? Where noise can be generated or waste burned? A STELLAR Rights project conference in Sofia demonstrated that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights ptovides solid legal basis for citizens' access to information on decisions that affect the environment and ability to participate in their making. And get public authorities to court, when they fail to provided them.

Read more on the event here:
https://justiceandenvironment.org/news-posts/eus-fundamental-rights-citizens-secret-weapon-in-court-in-bulgaria/

Funded by the European Union.
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Do you want clarity on where renewable energy projects can and cannot be built? Where concrete can be poured? Where noise can be generated or waste burned? A STELLAR Rights project conference in Sofia demonstrated that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights ptovides solid legal basis for citizens’ ...

16/02/2026

National Conference Enhances Voices for Environmental Protection in Slovenia

A national conference titled “Law for Society and Nature: Are We Improving the Environment for the Better?” brought together more than 160 legal professionals, civil society representatives, experts and representatives of public institutions to discuss the role of participation and law in environmental protection in Slovenia. The event, held on 15–16 January 2026 at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Law, was organised by the Legal Centre for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (PIC) in cooperation with Ombudsman and the Faculty of Law and was supported by the EU through STELLAR Rights project.

The conference aimed to reflect on how law, science and public engagement shape policy and decision-making in climate and energy matters, and why environmental protection often remains insufficient despite existing rules and knowledge. Participants addressed persistent gaps between scientific findings and policy decisions, as well as concerns about declining opportunities for public involvement for environmental protection, particularly when it comes to big investments and infrastructure projects.

Discussions focused on several themes: the neglect of scientific evidence in making policy and decisions, the weakening of public participation rights, legal mechanisms safeguarding civic involvement, and examples of good practice that could improve governance. The programme featured more than 30 speakers from legal, scientific and civil society backgrounds and explored both current challenges and potential solutions.

The first day assessed the state of environmental protection and citizens’ ability to exercise their rights, while the second examined the role of courts and legal professionals in safeguarding participation and charting paths forward.

The conference strengthened dialogue between experts, institutions and the public, fostering improved practices and renewed commitment to transparent, science- and rights-based environmental governance in Slovenia.

Funded by the European Union.
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16/02/2026

Shale Gas: The future or a dead end in Hungary?

There is a project called STELLAR Rights run by J&E in 8 EU Member States, including Hungary. The third event in Hungary within this project was organized for 3 December 2025 into the Event Centre of the Central European University (CEU) which serves as a hub of diverse intellectual events. The event was co-organized by EMLA Association and Friends of the Earth Hungary.

The third substantive presentation was presented by Ms. Eszter Galambos, energy program leader of Friends of the Earth Hungary. Her presentation described the nature of shale gas and its exploration and exploitation methods as well as the environmental and other impacts that are associated with fracking and the drilling for unconventional gas sources.

She described that shale gas and fracking in Hungary and elsewhere are in the focus of FOE Hungary (and FOE Europe) for a long time. Shale exploration and exploitation are coming up in Hungary due to a Government policy that prioritizes domestic natural gas sources although their environmental burden and economic costs may be disproportionate. Ms. Galambos highlighted that there are a number of strategic lawsuits (including FOI cases and a case against an environmental permit of a gas processing hub) in progress or lately closed with the active participation of FOE Hungary and that these were selected in order to exercise the most pressure against this gas extraction method. To strengthen the fight against shale gas, FOE Hungary just at the moment of the presentation announced a public call for a moratorium against new shale gas developments; the call is publicly available and can be signed by anyone agreeing with the goals of FOE Hungary.

Funded by the European Union.
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