| CODE | EMP2003 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Environmental Policy and Law | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Environmental law and policy are rapidly changing, and evolving with distinctive methodologies and approaches. These methodologies bring together local regulations with influences from international and European regulatory approaches. The policies geared to protect the environment are significant and vital in understanding the legal frameworks and application of legal powers. This unit is thus intended to introduce students to environmental policy and to the role played by the legal system in protection, planning and management related to environmental systems. Students are introduced to the nature of policy and law and to the application of legal and policy instruments in a number of relevant contexts. Environmental policy and law are pivotal for all environmental disciplines because they help better our understanding of protection and assessing the relevant impacts. This study-unit will provide characteristic basic legal knowledge on environmental regulations and policies, addressing topics such as: (i) basic planning law; (ii) basics of environmental policy; (iii) environmental rights; (iv) basics of law and environmental law; (v) environmental principles; (vi) sources of environmental law and policy; (vii) tools for environmental law and policy; (viii) environmental compliance and enforcement; (ix) environmental justice; (x) milestones: key items of policy and law; (xi) key items on the agenda of environmental policy and law: case studies. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit seeks to: - equip students with basic legal knowledge and skills in international, European and national environmental law and policy; - give students a greater understanding of the nature of law regulation and policy development, through the use of case studies; - familiarize students with key policy and legal instruments within the Maltese context. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. Identify the principal agents for the transmission of law and policy internationally, within the EU and locally. b. Relate to European Law and International Law as applied to the environment. c. Discuss the effectiveness of environmental policy and law with reference to case studies. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: a. Assess and evaluate policy and decision-making processes at national government and EU level. b. Analyze the nature and possibilities of environmental law and policy as tools to protect and attenuate impact. c. Apply the basic principles of policy and law for the day-to-day requirements of environmental and planning agencies. d. Appraise the role of the planning system in environmental protection and the role of policy in implementation and regulation. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Roberts, J., 2008. Environmental Policy (Routledge Introductions to Environment).Routledge. 2nd Edition. ISBN: 978-0415497855. - Keeley, J. & Scoones, I., 2003. Understanding Environmental Policy Processes: Cases from Africa. Earthscan Ltd. 1st Edition. ISBN: 978-1853839757. - Birnie, P.W., 2009. International law and the environment. Oxford University Press. 3rd Edition. ISBN: 978-0-19-876422-9. - Kramer, L., (2007). EC Environmental law. Sweet and Maxwell. ISBN: 0-421-59020-3. - Macrory, R., (ed) (2006). Reflections on 30 years of EU environmental law a high level of protection? Europa Law Publishing. ISBN: 9076871507. - Cullet P., Gowlland-Gualtieri A., (ed) (2005). Key materials in international environmental law. Ashgate. ISBN: 0-7546-2416-1. - Sadeleer, N., (2005). Environmental principles: from political slogans to legal rules. Oxford University Press ISBN: 0-19-928092-4. - Borg, S. & Spiteri L., 2010. Environmental Law in Malta. Walter Kluwer Law and Business. 1st Edition. ISBN: 9789041132994. - Bell, S. & McGillivray, D., 2008. Environmental Law. OUP Oxford. 7th Edition. ISBN: 978-0199211029. - Stallworthy, M., 2008. Understanding Environmental Law. Sweet & Maxwell. 1st Edition. ISBN: 978-1847030306. |
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| RULES/CONDITIONS | Before TAKING THIS UNIT YOU MUST TAKE EMP2004 OR TAKE EMP2005 | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Simone Borg Belinda Gambin (Co-ord.) Mary Muscat Mark Scerri |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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