Aspects Regarding Environmental Protection in Romania and EU, from a Juridical Perspective

The article aims to present the general principles of environmental protection, in the Romanian and European legislation, as well as to present some of the most challenging issues that environment protection is being confronted with, and how are those issues reflected in Romanian and European jurisprudence. Most of the EU countries (such as Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Holland, France, Romania etc.) have proclaimed, in their constitutions, the principle of protecting the environment and the right to a healthy environment. The European Court of Human Rights has stated that the right to a healthy environment is similar with the right of respecting private and family life. The Court has stated that significant damage inflicted upon the environment can affect individual welfare. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.