Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmitz [German & European Natural Resources Law]

The Law of Natural Resources in German and European Law Contribution to the course Natural Resources Law from a Comparative Perspective	04.12.25
Semester 2, 2024/25 (IUP); Tuesday and Thursday, 08.-27.05.2025, 08:00 - 09:15, room B.4.2 (Class A) resp. 10:00 - 11:15, room B.4.3 (Class B)
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Final note

After the end of the course this website has been finished. It will stay available for the purpose of deepening and repetition. Thank you for your interest and commitment. You are always welcome to contact me for any comments or questions. With best wishes for your future studies, yours Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmitz

Course Contribution Description

At the Faculty of Law of Universitas Gadjah Mada the courses are shared by several lecturers. This table informs about my lectures in May 2025. They complement those of my colleagues Edi Bosco Rafael and Dr. Rikardo Simarmata from a comparative perspective.

Downloads (PDF files)

Contents

	Legal sources
	How to answer exam questions (guide for the final examination)

Final examination (question, answer and observations)

Slides presented in the lectures (® aids for illustration)
- Slide 1 (Introduction; concerning § 1)
- Slide 2 (Mining law; concerning § 2)
- Slide 3 (Forestry law; concerning § 3) [updated 04.12.2025]
- Slide 4 (Water resources law; concerning § 4)
- Slide 5 (Fisheries law; concerning § 5)

Contents (summary/details)

	§ 1 Introduction
	§ 2 Mining law
	§ 3 Forestry law
	§ 4 Water resources law
	§ 5 Fisheries law

Bibliography (selection for this course contribution for further studies)

There is not much up-to-date legal literature in English on the specific topics of this course contribution. Some examples:

	Lutter, Stephan; Kreimel, Julia; Giljum, Stefan a.o.: The Use of Natural Resources. Resources Report for Germany 2022, 2022
	Terhechte, Jörg Philipp: Towards a European Natural Resources Law?, in: European Yearbook of International Economic Law 2018, DOI:10.1007/8165_2018_5
	Howarth, William: Integrated Water Resources Regulation in European Union and English Law, 2025 [coming soon]

Links

A. Relevant legal sources and institutions

	Law of the European Union: Treaty on European Union (= EU Treaty), Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (= FEU Treaty), Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2018/2001), Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (Directive 2011/92), Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (= EUDR; Regulation 2023/1115), Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60), Drinking Water Directive (Directive 2020/2184), Common Fisheries Policy Regulation (Regulation 1380/2013), Regulation on the Common Organisation of the Markets in Fishery and Aquaculture Products of 2013 (Regulation 1379/2013), Fisheries Control Regulation (Regulation 1224/2009), Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Regulation (Regulation 1005/2008)
	German laws in English translation: Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany [Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland) (= BL), Federal Mining Act [Bundesberggesetz], Federal Climate Action Act [Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz], Drinking Water Ordinance [Trinkwasserverordnung]
	Institutions: European Commission (special websites on deforestation, water policies, the Common Fisheries Policy), Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) (European scientific advisory body for the Commmon Fisheries Policy); Umweltbundesamt [German Environment Agency] (with websites in English on topics of natural resources, climate and environment), Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung [Federal Office for Agriculture and Food] (allocates fishing quota within Germany)

B. Links concerning special subjects

	concerning § 1 III: German Environment Agency, call for a comprehensive resource conservation law
	concerning § 1 V: Thomas Schmitz, Renewable energies law (course materials from another course at UGM, 2025)
	concerning § 2 I - VII: German Environment Agency (editor), [German] Mining law, 09.03.2021
	concerning § 2 VIII: EITI (editor), Crude Oil and Gas [extraction in Germany], 2024; Kerstin Appun, Coal in Germany, 18.01.2023; German Federal Government, No fracking in Germany, 13.02.2017
	concerning § 3 I: Harzinfo, Background on the current forest situation (information on the Waldsterben [forest dieback] in the German Harz mountains)
	concerning § 3 VII: European Commission, Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (general explanations); European Commission, EUDR - Myths vs. Reality. Debunking myths around the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR Myth Buster); European Commission, Cocoa under the Deforestation Regulation (special website for cocoa suppliers)
	concerning § 4: German Environment Agency (editor), Water Resource Management, 29.12.2021; European Commission, Water Framework Directive (explanations)
	concerning § 5 II: European Parliament, Fact Sheet EU fisheries anagement, 04.2025