On 8 and 10 April 2025, the Council of Europe launched a set of events to present the findings of a “Baseline Study of Legislation, Policy, and Judicial Practice on Human Rights and the Environment in South-East Europe”.
The Baseline Study provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and policy frameworks governing human rights and environmental protection across six jurisdictions in South-East Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia). It examines both substantive and procedural rights, mapping domestic laws and judicial practices while assessing their implementation and effectiveness. The Baseline Study also offers a set of practical recommendations, including strengthening access to information and public participation in environmental matters, and underscores the need for accessible and effective remedies for environmental harm.
The roundtables brought together 46 representatives from courts, prosecutorial offices, executive authorities, ombudsperson institutions, judicial academies, civil society, and the legal profession. Participants engaged in in-depth discussion on the main findings and recommendations of the Baseline Study.
The exchange on the interconnection between human rights and environmental protection, particularly in light of European and international legal standards, contributed to a deeper understanding of this complex and evolving topic.
The Baseline Study aims to pave the way for further progress in protecting human rights and the environment across the region, serving as a valuable reference point for domestic institutions and practitioners alike.
The roundtables were organised in the framework of the regional Project on Human Rights and Sustainable Environment in South-East Europe, funded by the Human Rights Trust Fund.
Baseline Study of Legislation, Policy, and Judicial Practice on Human Rights and the Environment in South-East Europe (download)
*All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.