Regulating the cost of access to justice in environmental matters in the member states of the European Union

“Access to justice” is fundamental to the rule of law. Effective judicial remedies must be available to vindicate rights and ensure that the law is enforced. While the right of access to justice is well-established at both the national and supranational level in Europe, the challenge lies in its implementation and enforcement in practice. This chapter examines access to justice in environmental matters through the lens of European Union (EU) law and the obligation on Member States to provide access to review procedures that are not prohibitively expensive. The Court of Justice of the EU has played a pivotal role in promoting effective access to justice in the Member States. But more remains to be done to embed the rule of (environmental) law in the national legal systems.