Seminar : EU Legislation for Clean Air at Crossroads
Tuesday 21 March 2023
Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles Room P02. Registration is necessary via this form before 16 March
Air pollution remains a serious problem both globally and in the EU, detrimentally affecting public health and the environment. The EU legal framework for clean air is currently being revised as part of the European Green Deal and the zero pollution action plan. The main objective of the event is to critically reflect on the recast of the Ambient Air Quality Directives in light of the recent scientific findings, and experiences and lessons from air quality litigation and legal practice. The seminar will address these questions through a joint discussion among legal scholars and practitioners (including from the Court of Justice and European Commission), atmospheric scientists, and other experts.
Programme
9:00 – 9:15 Introduction by co-organizers Delphine Misonne, CEDRE, Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles and Yulia Yamineva, CCEEL, University of Eastern Finland
Session 1 Air quality litigation: opportunities, lessons and challenges
Chair and moderator: Yulia Yamineva, University of Eastern Finland
9:15 – 09:45 Litigation on air quality in the CJEU – Have we reached the end of the line?
Christoph Sobotta, Court of Justice of the European Union, Chamber of AG Kokott
9:45 – 10:05 What are the new strategic litigation developments on ambient air quality?
Emma Bud, Client Earth
10:05 – 10:25 Litigation matters. Remaining grey zones and new challenges on air quality
Delphine Misonne, Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles/FNRS
10:25 – 10:55 Q&A and discussion
10:55 – 11:15 Coffee break
Session 2 Science – law interface
Chair and moderator: Delphine Misonne, Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles
11:15 – 11:35 What should we legislate for, and what we can measure?
Alastair Lewis, University of York
11:35 – 11:55 Addressing air quality with atmospheric and aerosol science: The case for an integrated approach, Pauli Paasonen, University of Helsinki
11:55 – 12:10 Why such a frequent reference to WHO guidelines? Some exploratory thinking, Camille Bertaux, PhD candidate PDR, Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles
12:10 – 12:40 Q&A and discussion
12.40 – 13.40 Lunch
Session 3 Revision of ambient air quality legislation in the EU
Chair and moderators: Yulia Yamineva & Delphine Misonne
13:45 – 14:30 Group discussion What makes a robust governance regime for ambient air quality?, with Eloise Scotford, University College London, Delphine Misonne, Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles and Alastair Lewis, University of York
14:30 – 15:00 The proposal of the European Commission for a recast of the Ambient Air Quality Directives, Magnus Noll-Ehlers, European Commission
15:00 – 16:30 Q&A and discussion
Venue and registration
Tuesday 21 March 2023
At Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles, Bd du Jardin Botanique, 43
1000 Bruxelles (easy access via metro Botanique or Rogier or train station Gare du Nord)
Conference room P02 ( groundfloor via entrance 119 rue du Marais)
Registration is necessary via this form before March 16
Please note this is an on-site conference.
The event is co-organized by
– CCEEL, the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (Finland) and
– CEDRE, centre d’étude du droit de l’environnement et du patrimoine ( Belgium),
within the PDR-Project WHO-ENVI-LAW – funded by the FNRS
