The convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern, 1979): Procedures of application in practice 1

Abstract

The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats was signed in Bern, Switzerland in 1979 and came into force on 1 June 1982. Over the past 20 years, various mechanisms have been developed to monitor the implementation of the Convention and to improve its effectiveness. The purpose of diis article is to examine the application of these mechanisms and assess die effectiveness of the Convention as a tool for biodiversity conservation.     

Legislative genesis and judicial death of a directive: The European Court of Justice invalidated the data retention directive (2006/24/EC) thereby creating a sustained period of legal uncertainty about the validity of national laws which enacted it

The Grand Chamber has ruled that the data retention directive was invalid ex tunc since it seriously interfered with the fundamental rights to respect for private life and protection of personal data and exceeded the limits of the principle of proportionality which are provided for in the Charter. The scope and temporal effects of this ruling should be clarified, especially its legal impacts on national laws of Member States which enacted the directive. In addition, the findings of the Grand Chamber on geographical safeguards have far-reaching implications on the retention and storage of personal data in the EU.