• Date: 27-28 January 2026
• Time: 27 (full day); 28 (morning)
• Place: Hotel Rossi, Lehrter Straße 66, 10557 Berlin
• Registration Deadline: 16 January 2026

An in-person workshop in Berlin on January 27-28 2026, will strengthen the capacity and skills of environmental and climate defenders, especially those who are at risk or preparing for active advocacy work. Register now or pass it on to interested people!

Who is the seminar for?

We encourage both young and active participants in informal initiatives and campaigns, as well as experienced environmentalists from established organizations to take part. Journalists, communicators, and others who have been subjected to repression or who report on environmental violations and campaigns are also welcome.

Scope of the program:

• Rights and obligations of environmental and climate defenders
• Protection from repressive and aggressive actions and smear campaigns
• Role and risks of civil disobedience as an advocacy tool
• Access to justice in cases of violation of rights or environmental obligations by institutions or companies
• Overcoming misinformation, online violence, and abuse in digital and media public communication
• Practical work on specific cases of the participants
• Follow-up recommendations for action, finding legal assistance, etc.

Logistics:

The workshop is free of charge. The EEB and partners have a limited possibility to support travel and accommodation for accepted participants from Germany. If this financial support is required please reach out to frederik.hafen@eeb.org and alessia.biasioli@eeb.org.

! Please note that the training will mostly – except for some English parts – be carried out in German !

Trainers (Leading lawyers and specialists) including:

• Viktoria Ritter (ÖKOBÜRO – Allianz der Umweltbewegung)
• Luisa Schneider (UfU e.V.)
• International experts on access to justice and participation in decision-making
• Frederik Hafen (EEB)
• Magdolna Tóth Nagy (GUTA Association)
• Xabier Triana Gomez (Youth and Environment Europe)
• Luisa Schneider (Unabhängiges Institut für Umweltfragen (UfU))

Organisers:

• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
• Youth and Environment Europe (YEE)
• Justice and Environment
• The national Guta Environmental Law Association – Hungary
• Part of BeLIFE project.

BeLIFE strengthens the implementation of European environmental and climate legislation through the active participation of citizens and civil society. It supports the rights enshrined in the Aarhus Convention – access to information, participation in decision-making, and access to justice.

The European Green Deal introduced new and stricter environmental standards, but their implementation remains a challenge. BeLIFE works to improve compliance with these standards by: Raising the legal literacy of citizens and NGOs; Improving complaint mechanisms; Strengthening participation in environmental processes.