The Assembly is committed to supporting the strategic efforts of the Council of Europe by raising awareness among parliamentarians of their primary responsibility in the effective implementation of its environmental texts, which are primarily addressed to the Council of Europe's member states and their authorities.
The Assembly encourages parliamentarians from member states to engage in implementing the judgments of the Court, as well as the conclusions and decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights, concerning environmental matters. By learning from the experiences of other countries facing violations of the Convention and the (Revised) European Social Charter, parliamentarians can contribute to addressing similar challenges in their own countries. This approach also extends to issues covered by the Convention and the Charter.
In 2022, the Assembly established a Parliamentary Network to actively mobilize parliamentarians around the right to a healthy and sustainable environment. This network aims to acquire and share multidisciplinary knowledge, promote best practices, and build alliances and partnerships in areas defined by the Assembly's resolutions and recommendations on the environment. Through knowledge exchanges and field visits, parliamentarians deepen their understanding of the legal and political issues identified by the Assembly, confronting them with on-the-ground realities.
Under the auspices of the Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health, and Sustainable Development (SOC), the network meets on average four times a year.
04/03/2025 - Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Seminar on ‘The role of the Dutch parliament in protecting the right to a healthy environment’
11/02/2025 - Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
PACE conference on ‘The role of national parliaments in protecting the right to a healthy environment’
03/10/2024 - Session
PACE calls for a ‘right to food’ in national constitutions
17/09/2024 - Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
PACE committee proposes a ‘right to food’ in national constitutions
Conference on the Role of National Parliaments in Protecting the Right to a Healthy Environment (Luxembourg, 14 February 2025)
Meeting of the Network (Luxembourg, 13 February 2025)
French National Assembly symposium ‘The implications of a framework law on the right to food’ (Paris, 19 February 2025)
Parliamentary Conference ‘The role of the Dutch Parliament in protecting the right to a healthy environment’ (The Hague, 5 March 2025)
PACE's Simon Moutquin on the human right to food
Young ambassadors on the adoption of the report on the right to food
Young ambassadors campaigning for a healthier, more balanced diet
Protecting the environment using human rights law (coe.int)
#EnvironmentRightNow: a PACE initiative (coe.int)
Guide on the case-law of the European Convention on Human Rights - Environment
SDG 13 and the Congress: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (coe.int)
