Agri- Environmental Legislation of the EU - Sylabus

 

Objectives, needs

  • to identify and explain the key agri-environmental legislation issues in the EU
  • to explain importance to follow the EU land law in order to preserve adequate conditions of the land in the EU and Slovakia
  • to highlight environmental aspect by each decision on land at local and national level 
  • to develop students own perspective on the multi-faceted agri-environmental legislation, and its connection to a range of other substantive and procedural legal areas

This model reacts to the new legal issues in agri-environmental policy of EU by underlying the importance of integration of environmental considerations into Common Agricultural Policy rules with the aim to maintain good quality of soil by effective agricultural activities. From this point of view is necessary to focus on new legal aspects of these changes.

Methodology

  • Methodology of teaching content: lectures including guest speakers, seminars, practical assignments, class discussion, team project work, study of related publications and relevant websites
  • Evaluation of the students: class participation (10%) + work on specific research questions (60%) + written exam (30%)

Teaching syllabus (12hours lectures/semester + individual research work)

  1. Introduction to the European Union and EU legislation.
    Questions for discussion: Importance of European Union and its legal system? Crucial tasks of European legislation nowadays?
    History and development of the EU fundamental principles, philosophies and concepts of the EU legislation, importance of harmonisation of EU legislation
  2. Functioning of the EU legislation
    Explanation and discussion on EU Treaties, legal acts: regulations, directives and decisions and other binding legal norms and its realisation in EU, decision making process, implementation process into to legal order of Slovakia
  3. Policies of the EU and Agricultural and Environmental Policy, Characteristic of Agri-environmental legislation of the EU
    Development of the EU policies, special interest will be given to the history and development of the Common Agricultural Policy and its legal background as the most integrated and broadness policy of the EU, its functioning and task for current society. The lectures will emphasis environmental aspect in agricultural activities. 
  4. Execution of Agri-Environmental legislation of the EU:
    subjects of agri-environmental legislation- EU and Slovak institutions, decision-making process, importance of practice of the courts, tools of protection, implementation process of agri-environmental legislation of the EU
  5. Liability in Agri-Environmental law of the EU: content and types of liability in agri-environmental legislation (criminal, administrative, civil liability), liability system at the EU level
  6. New trends of Agri-Environmental legislation: new trends and expected reforms of Common Agricultural Policy related to environmental measures. Questions for class discussion: how do you see future in Agri-Environmental Policy of the EU? What do you think about prepared reforms of CAP? Positives and negatives aspects of Agri-Environmental Legislation of the EU for farmers, for countryside and rural development?
  7. Leaflet document commonly prepared by students on specific problems related to agri-environmental legislation
    This activity will help to increase the experiences of students to be active in some concrete activity supporting of public awareness increase and motivating to better soil protection practices (will be published through newspapers). Targeted communities: students, farmers, environmentalists, extortionists, decision makers, ministries, common people.

References

  1. DAMBORSKÝ, M. 2010. Právo životního prostředí. 3. Edition. Praha: C.H. Beck, 2007. p.680 ISBN: 9788074003387
  2. ENVIRONMENT 2020 “Living well, within the limits of our planet. 7th EU Environment Action Programme. European Commission, Luxembourg 2012.
  3. EUROPEAN COMISSION. 2005. Agri-environmental measures, overview on General Principles, Types of Measures, and Application
  4. KOŠIČIAROVÁ, S. 2009. Právo životného prostredia. II. Edition. Bratislava: Eurokódex, 2009. ISBN 978-80-89363-13-1
  5. Strategy: Europe 2020.
  6. Strategic Environmental Assessment directive, Environmental Impact Assessment directives
  7. related EU and Slovak legal acts