German Environmental Law

The idea of German Environmental Law in English is to be just that: a handy-sized, up-to-date, English-language-version of the legislation for the protection of the enviromental currently in force in Germany. Its main objective is to make this body of law accessible to non-German speakers, students and professionals alike. The collection comprises the principal laws addressing the protection of the enviromental media air, soil and water, and of natural landscapes and habitals with their flora and fauna, as well as laws of a more general scope, e.g. those regulating liability in cases of harmful impacts on the environment, or providing for public access to relevant data in such cases. Also included are laws of particular relevance for potential investors, such as the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, which determines that a formal EIA be included in the application procedure for official approval of development projects considered to pose a threat to the environment. The texts in this collection are translations of the respective German language original versions of the laws in force in October 2001. (Legal status 2002).