CLIMATE REFUGEES AS A CHALLENGE FOR THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND POLICY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

Climate change is a global problem with environmental, socio-economic and security dimensions and is increasingly affecting human mobility. Climate disasters and environmental degradation force millions of people to flee their homes, but current international legal mechanisms do not provide adequate protection for such persons. The authors of the study emphasize that the EU invests significant resources in regional adaptation measures and financing of climate projects, reflecting the desire to minimize the effects of climate risks through preventive and adaptation tools. At the same time, in this context, international law has enshrined a number of principles — no-harm, polluter pays and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities that impose increased legal and financial obligations on industrialized countries. The legal status of persons forced to leave their territories due to climatic factors remains unresolved. The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees does not cover cases of climate-based mobility, which creates a legal vacuum and at the same time exacerbates security challenges for the European region.