Klimawandel

The project “Climate Change – a challenge for Environmental Justice in Germany and Turkey” is funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).

The project will be realized by the Chair for Public Law, International Law and European Law, emphasis on Environmental Law in cooperation with the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University and the Professor Dr. Ayşe Nur Tütüncü.

Main themes of the project are the climate protection and the already occurred and prognosticated climate change consequences, which have dramatic effects on living conditions for people, animals and eco systems in the different regions of Germany and Turkey (e.g. drought and water scarcity, heavy precipitation and flooding). This is accompanied by the term of “Environmental Justice”, a term established within US-American law which conceptionally connects environmental protection with protection of human rights and slowly gains reputation within European jurisdiction.
The focus lies on conflicts in water use, human right to water and ecological sustainability in correspondence with environmental and economy law legislation in Germany, Turkey, the EU and the international state community – in the meantime worldwide main themes. The demographic change will be included in addition, as it strengthens because of climate change in Germany and Turkey and leads to local migration of the population away from rural areas into big cities – for instance Hamburg, Berlin and in particular Istanbul. That’s why e.g. innovative, on ecological and demographical climate change consequences customized concepts for water supply and sanitation systems are necessary, in order to ensure the supplement of the population in spite of migration and environmental change. The ultimate responsibility of states requires innovative legal and economic concepts. The awareness for necessary adaptations in Environment and Economy grows within the European civil society and policy, though in parts in different rates.
After all, the question is coming up, how the situation in the legally by EU shaped countries Germany and Turkey really is.

The 5th Joint Turkish-German Seminar in the context of the project took place in Kassel from October, 17th to October, 20th 2017.

The seminar has been realised under the title:

"Environmental Justice in Turkey and Germany: Concept, Legal Issues and Future Perspectives - Part 2 (final results)"

As a candidate country of the EU, Turkey's Progress Report published by the European Commission in November 2016 stated regarding the ongoing negotiations about the Environmental Chapter that Turkey is at some level of preparation in the Chapter of Environment and Climate Change. However, there are some particular fields of environmental law which should be completed. As for Germany, according to European Commission´s EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report 2017, it has a strong set of environmental policies and laws and a good implementation of EU environmental law in general; however Germany also has some challenges in particular issues.

Against this background the Joint Turkish-German Seminar illuminated current legal questions linked to the concept of Environmental Justice and Environmental Law, in order to reflect on the current status quo of the situation in Turkey, Germany and the EU and to reflect on appropriate measures, strategies and instruments to push on the establishment of Environmental Justice on EU level and national level.

The seminar days were open to the public.

The 4th Joint Turkish-German Seminar in the context of the project took place in Berlin from October, 20th to October, 25th 2016.

The seminar illuminated the current legal issue

"Environmental Justice in Turkey and Germany: Concept, Issues at Law and Developments in Legal Policy"

The seminar scheduleshowed the up-to-date chosen themes, which were presented by Turkish and German participants.

The 3rd Joint Turkish-German Seminar on Environmental Law  took place at Kassel University from August 18th to August 20th, 2015.

"Current political questions and issues at law concerning an environmentally balanced economy in Turkey and Germany" -

this up-to-date title was set for our seminar which was attended by our Turkish guests from Istanbul University:

"Turkey is a candidate country and a strategic partner of the EU. Its dynamic economy provides a valuable contribution to the prosperity of the European continent" - clear words, published by the European Commission in its "Turkey Progress Report" in October 2014.

So far, accession negotiations have been opened on 14 chapters, inter alia "enterprise and industry", "company law", "environment", "food safety" and the latest chapter in November 2013, chapter 22, "regional policy and coordination of structural instruments". Furthermore, the development of an active civil society in the EU and Turkey continues and demands more co-determination in those political and legal questions.

Against this background the Joint Turkish-German Seminar at Kassel University illuminated current legal questions of environmental and economic law, in order to reflect on the current status quo of the (un)balanced situation in Turkey, Germany and the EU and reflected on appropriate legal, administrative and political measures to optimize the balance on EU level and national level.

The seminar days were open to the public.