Access to Justice for Animals in Europe: Towards an ‘Aarhus Convention’ for Animals?

The research group AJA (Access to Justice for Animals) is pleased to announce the upcoming conference titled "Access to Justice for Animals in Europe: Towards an ‘Aarhus Convention’ for Animals?" scheduled for July 1, 2025, hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany.
 

This international conference aims to address the critical issue of legal representation for animals in European courts and explore the potential for an international instrument to enhance animal protection. The conference will bring together a diverse group of experts from a variety of jurisdictions, including academics, practitioners, policymakers, and representatives from civil society organizations, to engage in substantive discussions on this pressing matter.

The conference will feature a series of interactive roundtables with invited experts, fostering dialogue between various stakeholders such as academics, animal ombudspersons, commissioners, and other key actors in the field. These discussions will focus on two primary objectives:

1. Mapping the current challenges and obstacles to accessing courts for animals across Europe.
2. Exploring potential solutions, with particular emphasis on the feasibility of an international convention modeled after the Aarhus Convention.

By adopting this format, the conference aims to move beyond theoretical discourse and generate practical insights and actionable strategies to improve the legal representation of animals in Europe.

Confirmed speakers include: Niels Fuglsang, MEP (Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals); Alice Di Concetto (European Institute for Animal Law & Policy)

The event will be followed by an expert workshop on July 2 with selected experts, allowing for more in-depth discussions and the development of concrete proposals for improving access to justice for animals. This expert workshop will not be open to the public, but the outcome will be published in due time.

We invite interested parties to join us in this important dialogue as we work towards placing the issue of animal access to justice firmly on the international agenda. Further details on registration and the full program will be available soon.

Looking forward to welcoming you in Hamburg,
AJA (Felix Aiwanger, Søren Stig Andersen, Eva Bernet Kempers, Victoria Kühborth, Marine Lercier, Elien Verniers)