A study visit and project closing event under the Council of Europe project “Human Rights and Sustainable Environment in South-East Europe” took place in Strasbourg from 20 to 22 January 2026, bringing together 36 representatives of governance and legal stakeholders from across South-East Europe.
The three-day programme provided participants with an in-depth overview of how environmental protection is addressed through the European human rights system, with a particular focus on the case-law of the European Court and the execution of its judgments. Judges, prosecutors, constitutional court advisers, representatives of judicial training institutions, public authorities and civil society organisations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia took part in the event.
The study visit started with expert presentations on environment-related cases before the European Court and on the execution of the Court’s judgments, highlighting recent developments in climate change litigation and environmental protection. Participants also discussed the Reykjavík Process and Environment, the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law, and biodiversity protection under the Bern Convention.
One of the highlights of the programme was the attendance of a hearing of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, offering participants first-hand insight into the Court’s work. The visit also included meetings with representatives of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and other Council of Europe bodies, underlining the Organisation’s comprehensive approach to human rights and environmental protection.
The event was closed with the presentation of the project’s results and newly developed guidelines on addressing environmental protection cases through a human rights lens. The guidelines aim to support practitioners in South-East Europe in effectively using Convention standards at national level and, where necessary, before the European Court of Human Rights.
The study visit reinforced regional dialogue and co-operation and contributed to strengthening the capacity of national institutions to address environmental challenges in line with European human rights standards.