News
January 2024
The 13th edition of MEPIELAN E-Bulletin is now posted online and can be accessed at
November 2023
MEPIELAN Center presents its Proposal and Action for the Establishment of an Aarhus Centre in Greece at the first Regional Training for the promotion of the Aarhus Convention across the Mediterranean organized by WES and the UNECE Aarhus Convention Secretariat (Αthens, 14-15 November 2023)
For more details see MEPIELAN e-Bulletin – MEPIELAN Activities Forum
October 2023
MEPIELAN Centre participates as an Observer in the 2023 Annual Meeting of Aarhus Centre held in Dushanbe Tajikistan, and virtually on 17 and 18 October 2023
For more details see MEPIELAN e-Bulletin – MEPIELAN Activities Forum
May 2023
The 12th edition of MEPIELAN E-Bulletin is now posted online and can be accessed at
March 2023
The 1st on Line Meeting of Peers and Experts on Promotion of the Aarhus Convention in the Whole Mediterranean was held on 8 and 9 March 2023.
The event took place within the framework of the EU funded project “Water and Environment Support (WES) in the ENI Neighbourhood South Region” and was organized by the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean; the Energy, Environment and Water Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM); the Circle of Mediterranean Parliamentarians for Sustainable Development (COMPSUD); and the Mediterranean Programme for International Environmental Law and Negotiation (MEPIELAN Centre), in cooperation with the Secretariat of the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat and the Secretariat of the UNECE Aarhus Convention. The Meeting was facilitated by the WES Team Leader Prof. Michael Scoullos and 37 Peers from Ministries of the Environment, Foreign Affairs, Justice and key NGOs participated in the Meeting.
Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, Director of MEPIELAN Centre, WES Expert, and FDD Scientific Coordinator presented, on 8 March 2023, an Overview and Recommendations of the “Foundation Discussion Document (FDD) for the Mediterranean Accession Agenda to the Aarhus Convention”, the product of the research component of the Aarhus Project prepared by MEPIELAN Centre.
For more details, press Activities – Conferences & Meetings
December 2022
The MEPIELAN CENTRE/INGO, represented by its Director Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, and the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), represented by its Director, Professor Spyridon Flogaitis, signed an MoU of collaboration to promote their organization’s shared goals and objectives in regard to environmental law, sustainability governance, energy transition, environmental trust democracy and international negotiation process.
For more details, press INGO – MEPIELAN–EPLO MoU
October 2022
The 9th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference – – Sustainable Infrastructure, Sustainable Tourism, Education for Sustainable Development was held from 5 to 7 October 2022 in Nicosia, Cyprus, organized by the Republic of Cyprus with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, President of MEPIELAN Centre was invited by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of the Cyprus Republic, to participate as a key expert speaker in the Side Event “Environmental Governance for Transforming our Planet – Promoting the Aarhus Convention in the whole of the Mediterranean Region” (7 0ctober 2022) where he presented an Overview of the Foundation Discussion Document for the Mediterranean Accession Agenda to the Aarhus Convention, the product of the research component of the Aarhus Project prepared by MEPIELAN Centre
(see Publications – Foundational Documents
Mepielan Centre was a co-organizer of this Event.
For more details, press Activities – Conferences & Meetings
February 2022
MEPIELAN Centre completed a Foundation Discussion Document (FDD) for the “Mediterranean Accession Agenda to the Aarhus Convention” Project, supported by the EU LIFE Programme (MIO/ECSDE)
For more details, press Publications – Foundational Documents
December 2021
MEPIELAN Centre produced an Intermediary Report on “Mainstreaming the Public Trust Approach (PTA) in the UNEP/MAP – Barcelona Convention system” Project in implementation of a UNEP/MAP Small Scale Funding Agreement (SSFA)
For more details, press Publications – International Reports & Papers
December 2020
MEPIELAN Centre/Panteion University and and the Mediterranean Information Centre for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO/ECSDE) sign an Agreement Concerning the Provision of Expertise on the basis of the MoU already established between MIO/ECSDE and MEPIELAN/Panteion
For more details, press Activities
November 2020
The 11th edition of MEPIELAN E-Bulletin is now posted online and can be accessed at
October 2020
MEPIELAN Centre/Panteion University and and the Mediterranean Information Centre for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO/ECSDE) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Implementation of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) Flagship Initiative to Encourage the Accession to the Aarhus Convention
For more details, press Activities
September 2020
Τhe Press exalts the new book by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos “International Negotiation: A Process of Relational Governance for International Common Interest” (Cambridge University Press, 2019)
- HUFFINGTON POST (30/09/2020): International Negotiations, an Innovative View by Evangelos Raftopoulos (Cambridge University Press)
- ΤΟ VIMA (29/09/2020): Evangelos Raftopoulos: An Innovative appproach to international negotiations in his new book
- TA NEA (29/09/2020): Evangelos Raftopoulos: An Innovative approach to international negotiations in his new book
- In.gr (29/09/2020): Evangelos Raftopoulos: An Innovative approach to international negotiations in his new book
June 2020
MEDIA praise the new website of MEPIELAN Centre, Panteion University of Athens
- ERT S.A. HELLENIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION (3/6/2020): A High Level Digital Hub for the Protection of the Environment and Sustainable Governance
May 2020
MEDIA praise the new website of MEPIELAN Centre, Panteion University of Athens
- ECOPRESS (28/5/2020): A Scientific Hub for the Environment and Climate Change
- AVGI (28/5/2020): A Scientific Hub for the Environment and Climate Change
- HUFFINGTON POST (27/5/2020): A New, Dynamic Website for the Environmental Sustainability at the Panteion University
- PRESS PUBLICA (26/5/2020): A New, Dynamic Website for the Protection of the Environment and Sustainable Development at the Panteion University
March 2020
Oxford University Press / Oxford International Environmental Law Collection
makes available a selection of 14 articles from the Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law free to be read until 31 May 2020 at: https://opil.ouplaw.com/page/849
Events
2023
November 2023
The MEPIELAN Centre Signs SSFA Contract with UNEP/MAP for the Launch of a Training School on Sustainable Governance in the Mediterranean Region (22 November 2023)
For more details, see MEPIELAN eBulletin – MEPIELAN Activities Forum
June 2023
The 19th Meeting of the Compliance Committee of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols was held from 29 to 30 June 2022 in Athens, Greece, at the Seat of the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat.
The Meeting, which was attended by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, President of MEPIELAN Centre and Vice-Chair of the Compliance Committee, discussed…
For more details, press here
The 19th Meeting of the Compliance Committee of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols was held from 29 to 30 June 2022 in Athens, Greece, at the Seat of the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat.
The Meeting, which was attended by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, President of MEPIELAN Centre and Vice-Chair of the Compliance Committee, discusse with the UNEP/MAP Secretariat crucial procedural issues relating to the process of submission of the Draft Amendments to the Procedures and Mechanisms and to the Rules of Procedure of the Compliance Committee to COP 23 of the Barcelona Convention in December 2023. The Committee examined the improvement of the criteria relating to the assessment of the National Implementation Reports under Article 26 of the Barcelona Convention, and finalized its Draft Programme of Work for the Biennium 2024-2025 to be adopted by the COP 23.
The Committee discussed the Progress Report from the Government of Spain on the compliance case of Mar Menor which referred to its response to the Findings and Recommendation reached by the Committee at its 18th Meeting (June 2022). The Committee:
- noted the extensive work done by The Government of Spain and the Regional Government of Murcia to advance compliance with the Barcelona Convention system
- expressed its great satisfaction at the enactment of the new legislation for the recognition of legal personality of Mar Menor and its basin (Law 19/2022 – MEPIELAN e-Bulletin - Thematic News - May 9, 2023) stressing the major qualitative step achieved by this progressive legislative development towards the ecosystemic legal protection and participatory governance of the Mar Menor
- requested further information and clarifications with regard to the concrete implementing measures and actions taken by Spain.
The Committee, finally, undertook to consider the admissibility of the communication of the Association Arles Camargue Environment and Nature" (ACEN) against the French Authorities for the Arles Motorway Bypass Project.
2022
Nov – Dec 2022
The Sixth Annual Economist Sustainability Summit for Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean was held on 30 November and 1 December 2022 at the Divani Apollon Palace in Kavouri, Athens, organized by “The Economist Impact Events for Greece, Cyprus, Malta and South East Europe”.
Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, President of MEPIELAN Centre was officially invited to participate as MEPIELAN Centre Delegate.
October 2022
The 9th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference – Sustainable Infrastructure, Sustainable Tourism, Education for Sustainable Development was held from 5 to 7 October 2022 in Nicosia, Cyprus, organized by the Republic of Cyprus with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, President of MEPIELAN Centre was invited by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of the Cyprus Republic, to participate as a key expert speaker in the Side Event “Environmental Governance for Transforming our Planet – Promoting the Aarhus Convention in the whole of the Mediterranean Region” (7 0ctober 2022) where he presented an Overview of the Foundation Discussion Document for the Mediterranean Accession Agenda to the Aarhus Convention, the product of the research component of the Aarhus Project prepared by MEPIELAN Centre (see Publications – Foundational Documents). Mepielan Centre was a co-organizer of this Event.
For more details, press Activities – Conferences & Meetings
June 2022
The 18th Meeting of the Compliance Committee of the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols was held from 29 to 30 June 2022 in Athens, Greece, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos, President of MEPIELAN Centre, a Member of the Compliance Committee, was elected as Vice Chair of the Committee.
The Meeting was highlighted by reaching a landmark decision on the compliance by Spain with its obligations under the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols concerning the protection of the ecosystem, environment and resources of Mar Menor.
For more details, press Activities