The scope and area of application of the "Umweltverbandsklage" in Germany is determined by European and international law. By signing the Aarhus Convention, Germany has committed itself to implementing the legal protection and participation guarantees granted therein. The implementation of these obligations under international law in national law, specifically in the existing system of administrative legal protection, has been criticized as insufficient by the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Aarhus Convention bodies on several occasions in the past. On behalf of the BMUV and the UBA, Prof. Dr Angela Schwerdtfeger, together with the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU) and other cooperation partners, is investigating unanswered questions on legal protection in environmental matters, in particular on representative actions. One focus of Angela Schwerdtfeger's research in the project is on legal developments at the level of European Union law, in particular the Aarhus Regulation and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).
