Environmental Protection as a Human Right in Post-War Kosovo and Its Path to EU Compliance
Environmental Protection as a Human Right in Post-War Kosovo and Its Path to EU Compliance

Summary/Abstract: In post-war countries like Kosovo, numerous social and economic challenges often overshadow environmental protection. However, the European Union (EU) inte-gration makes environmental protection a pressing obligation. International and European standards in this field, closely linked with the protection of human rights, such as the right to a clean and healthy environment, pose challenges even for developed nations. Meeting these standards requires legal, financial, and infra-structural reforms. For Kosovo, this is key to both a healthier society and progress toward EU membership. This article examines the link between international and European environmental protection standards and human rights, focusing on how Kosovo’s environmental legislation aligns with EU law and whether it recognizes environmental protection as a human right. The analysis of scholarly literature, relevant legislation and judicial practice proofs that Kosovo’s legal system acknowl-edges environmental protection as a human right – enforceable even through criminal law, while implementation remains limited, inconsistent, and lacking strict enforcement.

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