In dubio pro natura: turning the screw in the light of the wording and objective of the Habitats Directive. (Observations on the ECJ’s Waddenzee-case)
(2024) Grands arrêts inspirants du droit de l’environnement — ISBN: [9782807943063], published
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- Abstract
- (en) Case note European Court of Justice, 7 September 2004, case C-127/02, Landelijke Vereniging tot Behoud van de Waddenzee & Nederlandse Vereniging tot Bescherming van Vogels v. Staatssecretaris van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Visserij, EU:C:2004:482 (Grand Chamber) The Court of Justice confers a high level of environmental protection, partly in light of the wording of the text of the Habitats Directive, and partly in the light of the objective of the Habitats Directive which is far from being achieved. Therefore, it gives a large interpretation of the scope of plans and projects for which a thorough appropriate assessment must be established in the light of the best scientific knowledge in the field, and a strict interpretation of the conditions under which competent national authorities can agree to a plan or project: i.e. that is has been made certain that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site. Therefore, in case scientific uncertainty remains, priority should be given to the objective of protecting the site’s integrity over the development of a plan or project (in dubio pro natura).
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Citations
Van Eeckhoutte, D. (2024). In dubio pro natura: turning the screw in the light of the wording and objective of the Habitats Directive. (Observations on the ECJ’s Waddenzee-case). In D. Misonne & M.-S. de Clippele (ed.), Grands arrêts inspirants du droit de l’environnement. Larcier. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/259812