The Vienna Convention and Ozone Depletion

Environmental law is the collection of laws, regulations, and agreements that govern how humans interact with their environment. It encompasses various areas such as pollution regulation, natural resource use, forest protection, and animal and fish populations.

The purpose of environmental law is to protect the environment and establish rules for the use of natural resources.

One area covered by environmental law related to food production is the regulation of processes from seed harvesting to packaging and storage to ensure food safety and reduce the risk of contamination.

Environmental law addresses air pollution and air quality by enforcing rules and regulations to determine safe emission levels for motor vehicles, industrial emissions, and everyday usage.

Emission tests and cyclic vehicle safety tests are examples of measures taken to maintain safe air standards and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

Environmental law aims to determine who can use natural resources and under what conditions, in order to prevent overexploitation and promote sustainable resource management.

Water quality laws are primarily concerned with the release of pollutants into water bodies.

Some examples of pollutants that must be treated before being released into water bodies include raw sewage, agricultural waste, industrial waste, and liquid waste from construction sites.

Waste management laws regulate the transport, treatment, storage, and disposal of waste materials.

The goal of waste laws is to minimize or regulate the uncontrolled dispersal of waste materials into the environment and minimize ecological or biological harm.

Chemical safety in environmental law primarily concerns the correct storage, use, and licensing of chemicals to prevent environmental threats.

There is a need for laws to protect flora and fauna as they have been under constant threat by human activity, and to protect biodiversity and endangered species.

The purpose of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is to assess the possible consequences, both negative and positive, of a particular plan, policy, or program on the environment before making a decision.

The purpose of the Vienna Convention is to promote cooperation among nations by exchanging information on the effects of human activities on the ozone layer.

The Vienna Convention is a framework convention that lays out principles agreed upon by many parties and does not require countries to take control actions. The Montreal Protocol, on the other hand, requires countries to take actions to protect the ozone layer.

The Vienna Convention took effect in 1988.

The principle of the Kyoto Protocol is 'common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities', which places a heavier burden on developed countries to reduce emissions.

There are currently 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

The main goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016.

Countries can contribute to the objectives of the climate change agreement by submitting comprehensive national climate action plans (NDCs).

International Courts are an important source for environmental law.

The International Court of Justice, The International Criminal Court, The European Convention on Human Rights

27 Member States

The Treaty of the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)

The European Court of Justice represents an important source of environmental law.

Primary legislation and secondary legislation

National courts represent an important source of environmental law through the judgments they give.

The Région wallonne, The Région flamande, The Région of Bruxelles-Capitale