The second meeting of the Council of Europe Steering Committee on the Environment (CDENV) took place in Strasbourg on 13-14 October, bringing together member States, international organisations, Council of Europe bodies, civil society and leading experts to advance a shared vision for environmental governance grounded in human rights.
The Committee reviewed progress in implementing the Council of Europe Strategy on the Environment, adopted by the Committee of Ministers in May 2025, and advanced priorities at the intersection of environmental protection, human rights and democratic governance.
Discussions focused on integrating human rights into environmental policies and instruments. Key topics included:
- Tackling minsinformation, disinformation and access to information on environmental matters
- Creating enabling conditions for child and young environmental defenders
- Reviewing the work of courts, tribunals and legal professionals specialising in environmental law
- Exploring prospects for the signature and ratification of the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law (CETS No. 228)
The Committee also considered the Council of Europe’s contribution to advancing human rights-based approaches in major international environmental processes, including the upcoming UN Biodiversity COP17 in Yerevan and UN Climate Change COP31 in Antalya.
Co-operation and synergies with international partners featured prominently, with valuable contributions from Arnold Kreilhuber, Regional Director of the UNEP Europe Office, and Lajos Bognar, Sub-Regional Representative of WOAH.
The meeting also benefited from the participation of Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, and Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
The meeting reaffirmed the Council of Europe’s commitment to a comprehensive, inclusive and human rights-based approach to environmental governance - one that strengthens democratic participation and co-operation across sectors and with international partners.
