Access to Justice in Environmental Matters: The Crucial Role of Legal Standing for Non-Governmental Organisations

In its statement the German Advisory Council on the Environment describes the situation of limited legal standing of NGOs according to German law in 2005. It points at shortcomings in the enforcement of (European) environmental law and highlights the positive role NGOs can play to overcome those shortcomings. In the main part of its report, the Advisory Council analyzes the issue of legal standing under the Aarhus Convention and EC regulations and gives recommendations how those requirements could be properly implemented under German law. It also gives an overview of empirical research regarding NGO suits in Germany.(Original source: http://www.umweltrat.de/english/edownloa/statemen/Stellung_AccesstoJust…)