A range of human activities have the potential to produce detrimental and sometimes irreversible environmental impacts. Legal experts can play a significant role in interpreting and applying legal instruments for preventing or minimising environmental harm. In order to elaborate on the civil and criminal responsibilities emanating from incidents of environmental harm, a Seminar on Environmental Civil and Criminal Responsiblity was organised between 18 and 20 April, 2005, for forty French-speaking advocates and magistrates from Belgium, Brazil, France, Italy and Switzerland.

• Familiarisation with civil and criminal environmental responsibilities.

• National experience exchange on the issue of environmental harm.
• Familiarisation with relevant jurisprudence of the European Union and International Court of Justice.

• CSDPE
• Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
• The Bar of the Lawyers of Côme
• The Commune of Côme
• The Commune of Milan
• The European Lawyers Union (UAE)
• The Penal Room Côme and Lecco, the Foundation Il Nibbio (FEIN), the Casino of Campione, the Cooperative Credit BCC, and Freudenberg Politex
• The Region of Lombardie
• The University Center of Brasilia
• The University of Insubria

• Rapport- Séminaire « Environnement et Justice » Responsabilité civile et pénale en matière d’environnement - Italie 2005 (PDF - 1.2 Mb)