Duarte Agostinho climate case pending before the European Court of Human Rights

Priority question for written answer  P-002200/2021/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 138
Rob Rooken (ECR)

Six young people from Portugal have filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) against 33 states (application number 39371/20) for failure to adequately address the supposed ‘climate emergency’. The ECtHR is now considering imposing a series of draconian climate measures on these states, which would overrule their democratic policy decisions and destroy their economies.

We understand from press reports that the 33 states concerned are required by the ECtHR to submit their responses to the complaint by 27 May 2021. In the light of this upcoming deadline, we would request that the Commission answer the following questions no later than 17 May 2021:

• 1.Is the Commission aware of this case? If so, does it believe that it has the authority to intervene and does it intend to do so?
• 2.If it does choose to intervene, will it make it clear that the ‘climate emergency’ invoked by Duarte et al. is a political concept and not one based on science?
• 3.How will it seek to defend EU climate policymaking from interference or a possible takeover by the ECtHR?