Author: Alessia Palladino, PhD Researcher with the School of Law and Criminology and the ALL Institute, Research Funded by Research Ireland – Environmental Protection Agency
On a very sunny Tuesday afternoon, I was heading to Heuston station with a backpack full of notes, three different versions of my presentation (on my laptop, printed out and on a USB key, the devil is in the details). I hopped on the train to Cork, heading to the 16th Postgraduate Research Symposium on Environmental Law and the following Law and the Environment Annual Conference, held on the 22nd and 23rd of April at University College Cork (UCC). This was to be my first presentation of my PhD research, and I was filled with a good amount of nerves, mixed with excitement.
The morning of the symposium, I reached the Moot Court Room of the School of Law, where I saw some new faces, and friends I met on previous occasions. The symposium started with an introduction from Prof. Owen McIntyre, Co-Director of the UCC Centre for Law and the Environment and organiser of the event. The day was full of presentations, which covered different topics of environmental law, ranging from climate law, to marine, coastal and fisheries law and governance, as well as biodiversity and natural resources law and climate rights, among others.
My presentation was shortly before lunch and focussed on the basic structure of my PhD research which centres on the EU’s Nature Restoration Law (NRL/Regulation). Firstly, it featured an overview of the state of the environment in Europe, to emphasise the relevance of the research and why it is topical in relation to the environmental crisis and other related crises (such as the energy crisis, food sovereignty, etc.). Then, I introduced the main features of the NRL. This regulation, adopted in 2024, is the outcome of a long and often difficult adoption process, and it is aimed at the recovery of ecosystems through their restoration; climate change mitigation and adaptation and land degradation neutrality; enhancing food security; and meeting the Union’s international commitments (Article 1 NRL). My presentation focused specifically on Articles 4 and 5 of the NRL, which introduce the main restoration obligations and the deadlines for reaching each specific restoration objective. My presentation also addressed the role of the National Restoration Plans (NRPs), the instrument provided by the Regulation to implement nationally the obligations of the European legislator.
The presentation, resembling my PhD in general, then focused on the role of litigation in relation to biodiversity restoration and conservation, while also examining its impact on governance processes. The presentation then underlined how the trends leading to an increase in climate litigation can be also detected in biodiversity litigation and, therefore, a similar increase is also expected in biodiversity litigation as well. Against this background, the presentation then introduced the first research question of my PhD, which analyses the extent to which the NRL presents opportunities for biodiversity litigation and, hence, considers whether the NRL can be used as a legal basis for biodiversity litigation.
Lastly, I analysed the three strands that the PhD research encompassed, respectively: the difference in the non-deterioration standards in the NRL and Habitats Directive; the attempt to balance conflicting interests in relation to nature restoration and renewable energies; and the role of public participation in drafting the NRPs.
After the presentation, there was a Q&A session where I had the opportunity to answer several questions stemming from the presentation, which mainly focused on the role of public participation, and the connections between the NRL and the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. The day continued with the other presentations, and was concluded by the Speaker’s Dinner, which was an excellent occasion to meet other researchers in the field while at the same time enjoying great food in a wonderful location. Besides the benefits from developing and presenting the presentation, I received valuable feedback from my peers within the Q&A and afterwards. My primary supervisor, Dr. Orla Kelleher, was also able to attend my presentation and the following discussion, which was helpful as the inputs of the event were later discussed with the supervision team, which also includes Dr. Mary Dobbs.
The following day, the Law and the Environment Annual Conference took place. I was joined by Dr. Kelleher, who was presenting her research that day in a panel on the Coolglass case. The day started with a keynote speech by Prof. Richard Macrory, who discussed whether national environmental audit bodies are necessary in the EU. Among the several panels that were taking place, I was specifically interested in the ones on climate and energy and nature conservation law. Particularly, the presentation of Mathilde Lacaze-Masmonteil, which focused on biodiversity litigation stemming from the inadequate assessment of pesticides and risk assessment in France. Following this, Karin Dubsky from Coastwatch Europe, an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), discussed the protection and conservation of seaweed forests through the activity of NGOs. The panel was concluded by Gabriel Toolan, who analysed the case of the pollution incident which led to the Blackwater fish mortalities in 2025.
All these themes, just like many others, clearly resonate with my research and will inform it. Additionally, the possibility to present my research at such an early stage was a great occasion for me to gather feedback from both established and early career researchers in the field, while in a very supportive environment. Therefore, I would like to express my appreciation to Prof. Owen McIntyre and his team for organising a great event.
This research was funded by the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship GOIPG/2025/9051
