Complexity and Conflict of Norms: How to Handle Compliance with EU Environmental Law

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Year: 2024

Speaker

Iris Kieft is a partner at the international law firm NaudaDutilh in Amsterdam, specializing in environmental law, sustainability, and climate change. Her expertise spans the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors, with a focus on electricity infrastructure, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and hydrogen projects at provincial, national, and international levels. Iris has represented clients in arbitration and before the European Court of Justice regarding the EU emissions trading scheme.

In addition to her legal practice, Iris served on the board of Stibat Services, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to promoting responsible battery use and helping producers meet their extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations, including end-of-life solutions for collection, sorting, and recycling, until January 2024.

Before being admitted to the Netherlands Bar in 2008, Iris earned a master’s degree in Comparative Constitutional Law with a focus on EU law from Central European University and a master’s in International and European Law from Radboud University Nijmegen.

Topic

Iris Kieft’s presentation at the ERA Annual Conference on EU Environmental Law addresses the intricate landscape of compliance with EU environmental regulations. The discussion centers on the “environmental acquis,” a comprehensive framework comprising around 500 directives, regulations, and decisions that shape EU environmental policy. Kieft methodically outlines the challenges faced by member states in adhering to these complex norms, supported by data from the 2022 Annual Report on monitoring EU law compliance.

One key focus is the conflicts arising from...