This lecture has been postponed. A new date will follow as soon as possible
Strengthening EU Environmental Law:
Legal Perspectives on Greening Europe
Accelerating renewable energy deployment: a balancing of considerations
Increasing the EU renewable energy target is closely aligned with efforts to mitigate climate change. Additionally, accelerating the deployment of renewable energy contributes to ensuring energy security, in light of the current energy security crises. Concurrently, biodiversity in the EU is in a poor state.
Recent changes in the EU renewable energy regime, aimed at a much-needed acceleration in renewable energy deployment, have led to a rapid shift in the environmental legislation paradigm. However, this shift is not occurring within environmental law but rather in energy law, specifically in renewable energy legislation. While energy security concerns are the driving force behind these changes, the underlying motivation is climate change mitigation. The recent amendments to the Renewable Energy Directive (2023/2413) and the Emergency Regulation on Renewable Energy Deployment (2024/223) imply a departure from long-established EU environmental law.
As a result, when balancing different legal interests in individual cases, renewable energy projects are now presumed to take relative priority over environmental concerns. This shift poses new challenges in balancing concerns of climate change, energy security, and biodiversity protection. Furthermore, such developments in the environmental law paradigm may serve as a possible precedent for other sectors. The lecture will provide an overview of the relevant legal framework and address this difficult balancing of considerations based on EU law and with the inclusion of examples from Member State law.
Speaker
Prof. Birgitte Egelund Olsen
Birgitte Egelund Olsen is a Professor of Law at Aarhus University, Denmark. Her expertise lies in energy, climate, and environmental law. She has contributed to various research projects, analysing policy designs and regulatory mechanisms to promote sustainable transitions toward a carbon-neutral society. She holds several key positions: Chair of the Danish Food and Environment Appeal Board since 2017. Member of the Danish Energy Appeal Board since 2009. Member of the Danish Biodiversity Council since 2021.
Environmental Law Lecture Series
This lecture is part of the Environmental Law Lecture Series: Strengthening EU Environmental Law, Legal Perspectives on Greening Europe series. This series provides a set of important insights from environmental law scholars on how EU environmental law helps to achieve the aim of a high level of environmental protection in the European Union and across the world.
With the European Green Deal from 11 December 2019 the European Commission tabled an ambitious legislative program, based on fundamental aims such as zero pollution, do no harm, and climate neutrality. Many legal developments took place and are still on-going, both at the European and national regulatory levels as in the courtroom, including the national courts. While efforts to protect the environment are direly needed, including effective implementation and enforcement, the regulatory acquis, and the flow of case law, has become utterly complex which poses challenges for acquiring a good understanding and application.
This freely accessible online (and hybrid) lecture series provides students and scholars with core insights in the state of affairs and further improvement of EU environmental law. The lecture series will run in 2023 and 2024. All lectures will be recorded and will be made accessible through our YouTube channel.
This GreenDeal-Net lecture series is hosted by MCEL, METRO and organised in cooperation with GLaw-Net and GreenDeal-NET. Maastricht University students will be eligible for certificates of attendance (see more information under the registration link).