Sustainable Development Law

Teacher(s)

Born Charles-Hubert;

Language

French

Main themes

The course analyses : - the international, european and domestic institutional framework; - the public policies of sustainable development - the general principles of urban planning law and environmental law - the common rules in this fields : - access to information - public participation in the making-decision - access to justice - environmental impact assessement - liability

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	This course aims at some objectives: - to allow the student to acquire a knowledge of the institutional framework and the public strategies of the sustainable development - to allow the student to acquire a knowledge of general and common rules of urban planning law and environmental law - to allow the student to apply this knowledge to case studies - to allow the student to formulate critics on solutions provided by law actually in force. The course is based on participatory teaching methods (learning through projects or problems, review of the relevant case-law and doctrine, debates with guest speakers, field studies ...) which allow the students to develop independently a critical, forward-looking and inventive look on public international law. Students are encouraged to participate and to get involved in learning, which has both an individual and a collective dimension.

Content

The aim of the course is to provide students with a critical introduction to the general, institutional and cross-disciplinary aspects of environmental law in the various legal orders (international, EU and Belgian law). It covers :
- the definition of the concepts of environment and environmental law,
- the legal status of environmental elements 
- institutional aspects of international, European and national law (division of powers, sources, players)
- the foundations of environmental law, i.e. the main concepts, fundamental rights, objectives and general principles
- the instruments of environmental law, i.e. administrative police, economic, voluntary and land instruments
- procedural guarantees in environmental law, i.e. impact assessment, access to information, participation and access to justice
- enforcement of environmental law (control, sanctions and liability).
The course aims to take a critical approach to the law in the light of the challenges posed by the ecological emergency and the transition to sustainable development.

Teaching methods

The course is given in a lecture format, with examples from teachers' professional practice and with emphasis on interaction with students through readings of case law decisions or articles and by inviting environmental law practitioners. Situational exercises are organized on Moodle to prepare students for the exam.

Evaluation methods

The exam is an oral exam, with two questions, the first with preparation time, the second without preparation time. The questions deal with theory and simple situational exercises

Online resources

Online resources are posted on the course's Moodle site.

Teaching materials

• Syllabus
• Recueil de textes normatifs
• Recueil de jurisprudence

Faculty or entity

BUDR