Environmental Law and Policy - HNOPVS0009
Title: Environmental Law and Policy
Guaranteed by: Department of Environmental Law (22-KPZP)
Faculty: Faculty of Law
Actual: from 2025
Semester: summer
Points: 0
E-Credits: 5
Examination process: summer s.:combined
Hours per week, examination: summer s.:0/2, Ex [HT]
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
Key competences:  
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Teaching methods: full-time
Level:  
Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan
enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: prof. JUDr. Milan Damohorský, DrSc.
Incompatibility : HPOP0000, HPOP3000, HP0681
Examination dates   Noticeboard   
Annotation -
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the legal regulation of environmental protection at the EU and Czech national levels. It starts with a description of the state of the environment and explanation of the concept of environmental policy. It further continues with general issues such as the relationship between the EU law and national laws of Member States and the role of law as a tool of environmental policy. It pays attention to certain cross-cutting issues (such as liability in environmental protection, institutional safeguards, public participation, role of courts) before dealing with specific topics such as land-use planning, environmental impact assessment, protection of individual components of the environment (air, water, land, forests, nature) and regulation of specific sources of endangerment of the environment and human health (waste, chemical substances, noise, industrial accidents). The final exam is composed of a written test based on the knowledge transmitted during the course and a oral exam of two questions.
Course Goals: The goal of the course is to give to the students general understanding of the environmental problems in their mutual consequences and of the role of the environmental law.
Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Requirements to the exam -

1.       Written test

2.       Oral exam

Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Syllabus -

The subject covers following topics:

The state of the environment (global, European and national level). International, Europeanand Czech environmental policy Environmental law (system, principles, instruments), transposition and implementation of international and EU environmental law, institutional safeguards for environmental protection

Access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making. Ownership and environmental protection. Role of the justice (courts) in the protection of environment

Main horizontal legislation I: Land-use planning

Main horizontal legislation II: EIA, IPPC, unified environmental statement

The liability system of environmental protection

Air pollution regulation. Earth’s climate system protection

Water resources protection

Biodiversity and nature protection 

Agriculture land and forest protection

Regulation of sources of endangerment: Waste

Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (13.05.2025)
Learning resources -

Basic literature:

1.       DAMOHORSKÝ, M.: Czech Environmental Law, 2nd edition, Charles University, Prague, 2006

2.       KISS, A. - SHELTON, D.: Manual of European Environmental Law, Cambridge University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997

3.       KRÄMER, L.: European Environmental Law, Sweet and Maxwell, 6th Edition, 2007

4.       KRÄMER, L.: Casebook on European Environmental Law, Hart, 2002

5.       SCHEUER, S. (ed.): EC Environmental Policy Handbook - A critical Analysis of EU Environmental Legislation, EEB, 2005

6.       State Environmental Policy (2020-2030), Ministry of the Environment

7.       Report of the Environment of the Czech Republic 2007

Last update: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (28.08.2025)