9 June 2022 – Online conversation
On 9th June 2022, we have organised our first dissemination event, as part of the Central
European Professors’ Network, coordinated by the University of Miskolc – Central European
Academy, in the format of an online international conference for PhD students titled Protection
of Environment in Constitutional frameworks of certain Central European countries, using the
zoom platform (https://uni-lj-si.zoom.us/j/99960172587; Meeting ID: 999 6017 2587 (the event
was video recorded and all participants were informed about it accordingly).
After all participants successfully connected to the zoom platform, Professor Dr. Vasilka Sancin
explained relevant organisational issues, including that each presenter has 15 minutes available
for presentation, and afterwards a welcome address was delivered by Professor Dr. Miha Juhart,
in which he emphasised the importance of researching constitutional frameworks of Central
European Countries in relation to environmental protection and sharing of experiences and best
practices, and how such opportunities may stimulate further comparative research.
The first presentation was on the Protection of the Environment in the Hungarian
Fundamental Law, delivered by Enikő Krajnyák, doctoral student from the University of
Miskolc, Central European Academy. The participants were able to learn about the legislative
and institutional framework for environmental protection in Hungary.
The second presentation, by Anna Kawęcka, a doctoral student at the University of Warsaw,
focused on the Protection of Environment in Polish Constitution, offering an insight into
regulation and particularities of the Polish system.
The third presentation titled Sustainable Waste Management as a Constitutional Value in
the Slovak Republik, presented by Veronika Šuchmová, who is a doctoral student at
University of Trnava, introduced legislative framework for the waste management in Slovakia,
emphasizing that achieving sustainability in these processes is a special constitutional value.
The fourth presentation, was delivered by Matic Burkeljc, who is a doctoral student at the
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law, on The role of the right to drinking water in the
Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia in protecting the groundwater resources. After
presenting the constitutional framework, he emphasized that much remains to be done in order
to adopt the necessary missing legislation and implementation measures on the ground.
The fifth presentation, titled Comparison of monopolistic and competing PRO schemes
within the extended producer responsibility model – Slovenian transition, Janez Sekirnik,
a doctoral student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law, presented developments with
regards to the extended producer responsibility model in Slovenian legal and administrative
framework.
The sixth presentation on Environment and cultural heritage between Slovene Constitution
and praxis, by Jurij Švajncer, a doctoral student at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law,
focused on the interlinkages between environmental protection and protection of cultural
heritage in the Slovene constitutional framework and in the practical implementation.
The seventh presentation, offered by Urška Stopar, a doctoral student at the University of
Ljubljana, titled Overriding public interest when building a hydropower plant: case law in
Slovenia, discussed the potential frictions between public interest and economic prerogatives
when building a hydropower plant and presented the jurisprudence of Slovene courts on the
issue.
The eight scheduled presentation, by Žaklin Butinar, a doctoral student at the University of
Ljubljana, Faculty of Law, on Article 72 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia:
Liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage, did not
take place, due to some urgent last minute work-related responsibilities of the author.
Finally, Professor Dr. Vasilka Sancin offered some Concluding remarks, noting, among
others, that constitutional frameworks of the countries represented reveal already remarkable
engagement with issues of environmental protection, however, it can also be observed that their
implementation on the ground is yet to yield significant results.
Prepared by Prof. Dr. Vasilka Sancin
