EP: Defining EU Position for Rio+20

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on developing a common EU position ahead of the UNCSD (Rio+20), outlining its views on the concept of the green economy and desired outcomes of the Conference. Of special note is paragraph 97, which "Calls for the recognition of the Principle of Non-regression in the context of environmental protection as well as fundamental rights." A working group of the IUCN-Commission on Environmental Law (IUCN-CEL) was a key player in the inclusion of this principle of international law requiring that norms that have already been adopted by States should not be revised if this implies going backwards on the subject of standards of protection of collective and individual rights which have already been reached.