Project Details
Projekt
GRK 1319: Cooperation of Science and Jurisprudence in Improving Development and Use of Standards for Integrated Environmental Protection
Subject Area
Jurisprudence
Geography
Zoology
Geography
Zoology
Term
from 2006 to 2015
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 12835993
This Research Training Group will take an interdisciplinary approach to legal and scientific issues of integrated environmental protection. The basic idea of integrated environmental protection is to protect the environment as a whole rather than to limit emissions into different environmental media (water, air or soil) separately. This requires administrative agencies charged with implementing environmental legislation to take a holistic approach to controlling adverse environmental impacts. Recent environmental legislation has the difficulties of engaging in truly integrated environmental protection by using a rather wide-ranging concept of "environment", which includes factors such as biodiversity, climatic factors, human health as well as the interrelationship between the above factors.
Inevitably, both European and national environmental legislation frequently uses rather vague terms, a fact which creates additional difficulties in implementing environmental law. For instance, in legislation the terms "significant deterioration of ecological functions and potentials" and "likely significant effects on the environment" are used.
The basic assumption underlying the Research Training Group is that, due to the complexity of the factual situation and due to limitations on human knowledge truly integrated environmental protection will be achievable only in approximation. Therefore, the Research Training Group will attempt to determine the extent to which reasonable efforts at drafting and implementing environmental laws might result in truly achieving this aim. It will emphasise close cooperation between science and jurisprudence in developing specific standards to implement vaguely worded environmental legislation.
On the one hand, the Research Training Group will endeavour to provide a valid scientific basis for the application of environmental statutes currently in force. On the other hand, it will attempt to propose an improved legal terminology for use in future environmental legislation. The study programme particularly emphasises improving the doctoral students´ ability to engage in interdisciplinary solutions to issues of environmental protection.
Inevitably, both European and national environmental legislation frequently uses rather vague terms, a fact which creates additional difficulties in implementing environmental law. For instance, in legislation the terms "significant deterioration of ecological functions and potentials" and "likely significant effects on the environment" are used.
The basic assumption underlying the Research Training Group is that, due to the complexity of the factual situation and due to limitations on human knowledge truly integrated environmental protection will be achievable only in approximation. Therefore, the Research Training Group will attempt to determine the extent to which reasonable efforts at drafting and implementing environmental laws might result in truly achieving this aim. It will emphasise close cooperation between science and jurisprudence in developing specific standards to implement vaguely worded environmental legislation.
On the one hand, the Research Training Group will endeavour to provide a valid scientific basis for the application of environmental statutes currently in force. On the other hand, it will attempt to propose an improved legal terminology for use in future environmental legislation. The study programme particularly emphasises improving the doctoral students´ ability to engage in interdisciplinary solutions to issues of environmental protection.
DFG Programme
Research Training Groups
Applicant Institution
Universität Trier
Participating Researchers
Professorin Dr. Brunhilde Blömeke; Professor Dr. Christoph Emmerling; Professor Dr. Bernd Hecker; Professor Dr. Roland Klein; Professor Dr. Martin Paulus; Professor Dr. Peter Reiff; Professor Dr. Thomas Schmitt; Professor Dr. Michael Karl-Heinz Veith
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Alexander Proelß
