Summary
In 2017, the non-profit organization Nature’s Rights proposed a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on the Rights of Nature and prepared a Draft EU Directive to codify nature’s rights into European law, which was reviewed by experts from around the world including the from members of the UN Harmony with Nature Programme and IUCN.
On 29 March 2017, Nature’s Rights organized an event in the European Parliament to introduce their initiative. They presented the Draft Directive on the Rights of Nature to members of the European Parliament in an effort to get rights of nature on the EU 2017 legislative agenda. The proposal is a framework for rights of nature in Europe and establishes a duty of care, protection, enforcement, and ecological governance. This proposal serves as a framework for future Rights of Nature legislation in the EU and for individual member states. However, rights of nature have not since passed on in EU legislation.
An ECI is a democratic mechanism open to citizens of the EU to directly propose legislation for the European Union’s legislative agenda. The ECI process involves collecting 1 million statements of support across seven or more member states. In 2026, a new ECI on rights of nature was launched by a coalition of NGO;s and civil society organizations.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/draft-directive-european-parliament-and-eu-council-for-rights-of-nature/.
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