P.O. 316, Lviv, 79000

+380 32 225 76 82

office@epl.org.ua

EPL: Events and Announcements

27 February 2024 Environmental impact assessment is a hot topic not only in Ukraine

  The second day of the Annual Meeting of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide that is currently taking place in the USA was devoted to environmental impact assessment (EIA). Although the event brought together legal practitioners and scientists from nearly fifty countries across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, the quality of environmental impact…

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26 February 2024 The world largest forum of environmental lawyers has started its work

The Annual Meeting of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide has begun. The Alliance brings together public interest lawyers from 70 countries that are the most talented environmental lawyers–practitioners, environmental lawyers–scientists, scientists in the area of environmental protection who have chosen nature conservation, protection of human rights to clean water and clean air as their life’s…

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16 February 2024 Launch of the Specialized Tribunal: information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice

  EPL welcomes the initiatives of the state of Ukraine represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (hereinafter – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine (hereinafter – the Ministry of Justice), which are aimed at launching a special ad hoc tribunal against Russia in the context of…

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1 February 2024 The reform of state environmental control as a prerequisite for Ukraine’s green recovery

EPL representatives took part in the international forum “United for Nature. Agenda for Ukraine” organized by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. In times of war, when Ukraine is going through the most difficult trials, we must not forget that environmental security is part of national security that our military fight…

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4 January 2024 Report on the growing number of climate court cases

  The total number of climate change court cases has more than doubled since 2017 and is growing worldwide. hese findings, published today by the UN Environment Program  (UNEP) and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. The report, Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023 Status Review, is based on a review of cases focused on climate…

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2 January 2024 Fighting greenwashing: progress reports published

  The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), which bring together the European Banking Authority, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Securities and Markets Authority, have published progress reports on the investigation of greenwashing in the financial services sector (hereinafter – progress reports). These reports are aimed at combating the practice of greenwashing,…

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About us

EPL is a public interest environmental law organization which since 1994 has been protecting environmental rights, supporting, restoring and improving the environment and providing legal help in protecting other human rights, especially those which overlap with environmental rights.

We care about environment in Ukraine and abroad and are concerned about all the risks, threats and dangers which may lead to deterioration of the environment.

At present environmental protection is the hottest problem of the humankind. There is a growing threat not only for human health and well-being but for existence of life on our planet in general.

Work of the organization is directed towards transformation of safe though often extremely polluted environment into favorable for life and health environment, preservation of biodiversity, protection of flora and fauna, stoppage of uncontrolled emissions and dumps of harmful substances into environment and elimination of other negative factors, fight with non-activity as for global environmental issues in general and climate change issues in particular.

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Updated documents at the EPL website

7 February 2024 Russia should compensate Ukraine 5 BILLION UAH worth damages caused by military actions TO the Kamianska Sich National NATURE Park

  Case: aimed to recover from the Russian Federation, represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in favor of the State of Ukraine, to the State Budget of Ukraine, the damage caused to the environment of the Kamianska Sich National Nature Park as a result of the armed aggression in the…

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8 January 2024 FORESTERS AGAINST THE LIST OF INVASIVE SPECIES OF TREES. WHO WILL WIN?

  The case: regarding declaring illegal and invalid the order of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine dated 04/03/2023 No. 184 “On approval of the list of invasive tree species with a significant ability to spread uncontrollably, prohibited for use in the process of forest reproduction”. Region: Ukraine. The essence of…

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8 January 2024 OPPOSITION OF THE COMMUNITY OF VILNIANSK, ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, TO THE ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE KAOLIN QUARRY. BURKOT-KONONENKO.

Case: appeal of the Conclusion on environmental impact assessment of the planned activity “Development of the Eastern section of the Bilyayivskie primary kaolin deposit, construction of a mining and beneficiation complex with a capacity of 100,000 m3/year, change of purpose of land plots with an area of about 95 hectares”. Region: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Vilniansk…

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EPL (formerly Ecopravo-lviv) is a nongovernmental international organization, created in 1994 in order to provide assistance to individuals and legal persons in the protection of environmental rights, to promote the development of the environment protection, environmental education, science and culture.

History of organization

  • 1994 y.
    March 24 – established Charitable foundation “Ecopravo – Lviv.”
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  • 1994 y.
    October 14 – created the “Center for Public Environmental Advocacy” with ABA / CEELI.
  • 1994 y.
    1994

    – Еstablished the environmental legal library of the CF “Ecopravo-Lviv”

    – Оrganized the conference of the Association of Environmental Law of the EECCA countries

    – Оrganized the conference of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide

  • 1995 y.

    – June – founded Environmental Advocacy Journal

    – The CF “Ecopravo- Lviv” became the Headquarters of Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide

  • 1998 y.
    1998

    EPL participated in the negotiations of the Aarhus Convention under the auspices of the UNECE, in the process of signature, ratification and implementation in the European project “Doors to Democracy.”

  • 2001 y.
    EPL became the headquarters of the Guta Association.
  • 2002 y.
    2002

    – Established Ukraine’s first environmental law clinical program for training legal practitioners;
    – EPL’s President elected the Vice Chairman of the Compliance Committee of the Convention of access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters
    – Started implementation of the Aarhus Convention in Ukraine.

  • 2003 y.
    2003

    – Symposium for Judges in Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.

    – Organization of the meeting of the Steering Committee of the IUCN.Environmental Commission

    – EPL realized the project “Promotion of adaptation of environmental law of the EU in Ukraine”

  • 2003 y.

    – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognized EPL as the center of legal excellency

    – Established cooperation with the Secretariat of the Espoo Convention, Ramsar, Danube and Bonn Conventions and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change with the aim to preserve biodiversity

  • 2004 y.
    2004

    – The project “Development of the Center of Environmental Advocacy”

    – The project “Analysis of possibilities to realize the program of evaluation of environmental activity and release of information”

  • 2004 y.
    2004

    – DOEN Foundation started support of the environmental public advocacy center

    – Launched the institutional support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

  • 2005 y.
    2005

    – 25 November – renaming Charitable fund “Ecopravo – Lviv” to International charitable organization “Environment-People-Law” (EPL).

    – The project “Enforcement of access to environmental information”

  • 2006 y.
    2006

    EPL representative was awarded the most prestigious award in the sphere of environmental protection – Goldman Prize – for strategic case of the organization “The Danube-Black Sea”.

  • 2007 y.
    2007

    – The Project “Sanitary protective zones, nuclear safety and climate change» funded by Sigrid Rausing Trust

    – The Project “Access to environmental information in Ukraine: the experience of NGOs and public authorities.”

  • 2007 y.
    2007

    – The Project “Strengthening public participation in environmental matters through strategic litigation.”

    – The Project ““Improvement of access to justice in environmental matters through public monitoring of courts”

  • 2008 y.
    2008

    – Establishment of the journal “Environment. People .Law. ” .

    – The Project ” Utilization of toxic pesticides in the territory of Lviv oblast in the basin of transboundary rivers Syan and Western Buh”

  • 2009 y.
    2009

    – The Project “Public monitoring of the cases relating to environmental rights of people in Lviv and Ternopil regions.”

    – The Project “New legal tools for effective control of pollution emissions”

  • 2009 y.
    2009

    – The Project “Stimulation of realization of the right to access to information owned by the state”

    – The Open Society Institute (Budapest) started institutional support of EPL.

  • 2010 y.
    2010

    – The Project “Improvement of access to environmental information through stimulation of openness of relevant public authorities”

    – The Project “Stimulating the Ukrainian public to participation in the realization of the European strategy of the Danube region”

  • 2010 y.
    2010

    – Winning the lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights

    – The Project “Legal protection of environmental rights of citizens.”

    – EPL became a member of the Working group “Envint”, a member of WG3 of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

  • 2011 y.
    2011

    – The Project “Information and activation of public participation in developing the National Action Plan for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region”

    – The Project “Improvement of legal preconditions and activation of the public for protection of environmental rights of citizens»

  • 2011 y.
    2011

    – The Project “Developing preconditions for effective application of the Law of Ukraine “On Access to Public Information in the Sphere of Environmental Protection”

    – The Project Public participation and transparency in nuclear safety issues”

  • 2011 y.
    2011

    – EPL became a member the Climate Action Network (CAN)

    – EPL became a member of ANPED.

    – EPL became a member of The Access Initiative (TAI).

  • 2012 y.
    2012

    EPL coordinated the process of drafting Annual report “Public assessment of national environmental policy” in 2003-2012

  • 2013 y.
    2013

    – EPL became a member of the Academy of Environmental Law of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

    – The Project ” Enforcing European standards of environmental impact assessment in Ukraine”

  • 2013 y.
    2013

    – The Project “Improvement of regulation of environmental component in regional programs in Lviv region”

    – EPL signed an agreement with Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) for realization of the project on building capacity of EPL and providing institutional support for the organization.

  • 2013 y.
    2013

    – The Project to develop strategic litigation in Ukraine.

    – The establishment of Ecolitigation National Platform

    – The Project “Strengthening participatory democracy for effective protection of the environment.”

    – Creation of the network of pro bono legal aid in Ukraine.

  • 2014 y.
    2014

    – The opening of the office in Kyiv.

    – International Symposium “Human Rights and the Environment in the new Ukraine, in honor of Professor Svitlana Kravchenko.”

    – Launching the clinical program for students-environmentalists.

  • 2014 y.
    2014

    – Development of the first version of the electronic analytical system of environmental information.

    – EPL became a member of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).

  • 2015 y.
    2015

    – Start of the projects funded by FOSI, TTF, USAID.

    – Revival of the Guta Association of environmental lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus

  • 2015 y.
    2015

    – Development of the course for judges “Human rights and the environment”

    – Creation of on-line environmental law library.

    – Co-authorship of the draft law of Ukraine “On Environmental Impact Assessment”.

  • 2016 y.
    Development of the on-line course on international environmental law.
  • 2017 y.
    Creation of the Ukrainian Center of Environmental Policy and Action