Workshop for academics, policymakers and stakeholders
Wednesday 24th September 2025
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels
The Aarhus Convention continues to be widely celebrated as a beacon of environmental democracy and has played a considerable role in advancing the notion of procedural environmental rights in the European Union and beyond. Amidst mounting environmental crises and with the 2025 Meeting of the Parties around the corner, this workshop will be an opportunity to reflect on the major issues facing the Convention today and the European Union’s position within it.
Has the EU done enough to ensure sufficient avenues to challenge environmental law violations? How can planning of the ecological transition be accelerated, while ensuring public participation in and acceptability of new projects? Is the European Commission living up to the transparency requirements and aspirations of the Convention? How can the Convention surmount challenges arising from the high workload of its Compliance Committee and the slow implementation of the Committee’s findings? What have been the achievements and challenges of the recently established Rapid Response Mechanism for environmental defenders?
In this workshop, we will bring together academics, policymakers and stakeholders to explore these important questions concerning the ongoing trajectory of the Convention under its three pillars of access to information, public participation and access to justice.’
Registration
The event will be open for registration, both in person and virtually, in due course.
Draft Programme
09:30 – 10:00 | Registration & Coffee
10:00 – 10:30 | Opening & Keynote
– Keynote Speaker: Professor Áine Ryall, University College Cork and
Chair of the UN ECE Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee
10:30 – 11:45 | Session 1: Access to Justice
Chair: Prof. Annalisa Savaresi, University of Eastern Finland
– Prof. Mariolina Eliantonio, University of Maastricht
– Sebastian Bechtel, ClientEarth
– Pielpa Ollikainen & Sofia Heikkonen, University of Helsinki
11:45 – 13:00 | Session 2: Public Participation
Chair: Nicola Sharman, University of Eastern Finland
– Prof. Chiara Armeni, Université Libre de Bruxelles
– Frederik Hafen, European Environmental Bureau
– Rosita Hickey, European Ombudsman
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch
14:00 – 15:15 | Session 3: Access to Information
Chair: TBC
– Prof. Elisa Morgera, University of Strathclyde and UN Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change
– Prof. Päivi Leino-Sandberg, University of Helsinki
Fred Logue, FP Logue LLP, Ireland
15:15 – 15:45 | Coffee Break
15:45 – 17:00 | Session 4: Outlook
Chair: Anne Friel, ClientEarth
– Emily Barritt, Dauphine Université Paris, PSL
– Claudia Fusco, Director, DG ENV.E, European Commission
– Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention TBC
– TBC
17:00 – 17:30 | Closing Remarks