Environmental rights protection in the European Court of Human Rights

Abstract

A relevant issue of environmental law in Ukraine is the total violation of environmental human rights and the lack of guarantees for their restoration, as well as the imperfection of the procedure for bringing violators to justice. Since Ukraine is an active participant in international relations in the field of environmental protection, and the basic principles of foreign policy are enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights may be a way to defend the violated rights to a clean environment. The study aims to examine the issue of environmental rights protection in the European Court of Justice. The study is based on the following methods of scientific cognition: formal legal, dogmatic, and comparative legal. The author analyses international legislation in the field of environmental rights protection. The author notes that environmental problems are borderless, and therefore, their overcoming requires all countries to join forces and share experiences. As stated, the issue of environmental protection and environmental security is becoming geopolitical in nature, given the international cooperation in the field of environmental protection which began more than 100 years ago. The author shows the signs of ensuring the implementation of the environmental rights of citizens both in Ukraine and abroad. Examples of effective international cooperation in the field of environmental protection are given. The author analyses the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in cases related to the subject matter of the study. It is determined that when making a decision, national courts should adhere to the criteria set out by the European Court of Human Rights; find out how a certain situation arose; whether the State knew and should have known that the danger or harmful effect would affect the applicant’s private life; to what extent the applicant contributed to the deterioration of the situation and was able to remedy it without excessive costs. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results in specialised classes, as well as in the preparation of scientific texts