ACELS is a research group of the Faculty of Law of the University of Amsterdam specialized in international and European environmental law.

Since becoming a distinct field of law, environmental law has been strongly influenced by processes of internationalisation and Europeanisation. The recognition of environmental protection as an important area of international cooperation and harmonisation within the United Nations (UN) occurred more or less concurrently with the emergence of European environmental policy within the framework of the then European Economic Community, which later became the European Union (EU). In the beginning, the influence of international and European law on domestic environmental law was mainly conceptual in nature and focused on approaches to environmental problems with obvious transnational dimensions. Today, the influence and effect of supranational standards has become a structural feature of environmental law and policy. As a consequence of increasing ecological problems and continuing globalisation of economic processes, there is a growing need for supranational regulation in order to ensure the protection of the environment and the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources worldwide. Due to globalisation, not only the basic principles of environmental law but also the shape of institutions and processes of norm-setting and implementation, and even the choice of legal instruments of environmental policy, are to a large degree determined by international and European developments.

Because of these factors, ACELS has decided further to embed its research activities in international and European legal contexts. Among other things, the Centre intends to concentrate on studying the respective roles of the EU and classical intergovernmental fora in the development of international environmental standards aimed at regulating production and consumption patterns in a globalising economy. Through its research, ACELS intends to contribute to the ongoing societal, political and academic debates on globalisation, market regulation and sustainable development, and on the legitimacy and effectiveness of international decision-making and standard-setting processes.

The Centre’s researchers are members of a variety of international research networks, such as the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, the Environmental Law Network International (ELNI) and the Ius Commune research school, a framework for collaboration between the Faculties of Law of the Universities of Amsterdam, Maastricht, Utrecht and Leuven, which also includes participants from other universities. ACELS also cooperates with environmental law research-groups at other universities in Europe and internationally. This collaboration enables us to exchange ideas and experiences, disseminate the results of our research and generally helps us enrich our thinking. We look forward to expanding these exchanges, contacts and partnerships in the future.

Annual reports

In dutch (including English summary)