Journal “Temas de Integração”
2024 – No. 44

The journal "Temas de Integração" was created almost 30 years ago by the Association of European Studies of the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra and has gained particular recognition and impact among audiences in Portuguese-speaking countries.

With this issue, the journal is committed to expanding its audience internationally by selecting topics of undeniable international relevance and by broadening the languages accepted for publication (Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English). Issue number 44 will also be the first to be open access, further promoting the dissemination of knowledge on European and regional integration topics. The journal aims to capture the interest of academics, lawyers, economists, businesspeople, and other professionals involved in the formation and development of regional spaces on the global stage.

Call for Papers:
Climate Rights and the Role of International Integration Organizations

In recent years, the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events have highlighted the relationship between climate change and human rights. Governments worldwide are under growing pressure to take effective measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of global warming, thereby protecting the health and lives of their populations. In this context, the inadequacy or insufficiency of climate policies has led individuals and groups to turn to international courts, seeking state accountability and the effective protection of their fundamental rights.

Recent decisions by international courts reflect the urgency and complexity of this issue. On March 22, 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a decision in the case of La Oroya v. Peru, recognizing the Peruvian state's responsibility for violations of the right to a healthy environment and other fundamental rights. On May 21, 2024, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivered a landmark opinion recognizing greenhouse gas emissions as marine pollution, causing irreversible damage to the oceans. Consequently, it recognized the obligation of states to protect marine ecosystems, which are common goods of humanity. On April 9, 2024, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of Verein Klimaseniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland that Switzerland violated Articles 6 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to ensure a fair process for its nationals who were victims of human rights violations and by disregarding the right to private and family life, allowing a group of approximately 500 elderly women to be subjected to the impact of heatwaves resulting from climate change. The climate issue was also discussed in two other cases, Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and Others, as well as Carême v. France, which, however, were not upheld. The former due to the lack of exhaustion of domestic legal remedies and the absence of a legal basis to extend extraterritorial jurisdiction to the defendant states beyond Portugal.

These cases not only reinforce the need for robust climate policies but also highlight the legal and procedural challenges faced by jurists, environmentalists, and activists. By addressing human rights violations associated with climate change, these decisions establish important precedents for future legal actions, the adoption of public policies, and the activities of social movements.

In this context, the 44th edition of the Journal Temas de Integração will be dedicated to exploring the evolution of environmental law in Europe, Mercosur, and other regional integration spaces in light of these judicial decisions. We propose an extensive reflection on the thematic axes listed below, which are not exhaustive:

(1) Critical analysis of recent judicial decisions and their impact on climate, energy, and environmental policies in integrated regional spaces.
(2) Reflection on the role of the judiciary and the legal community in the formation of environmental jurisprudence in integration spaces.
(3) Challenges for states in implementing effective climate protection measures demanded by climate justice.
(4) Recognition and evolution of the right to a stable climate and protection against extreme weather as fundamental human rights.
(5) Identification and overcoming of procedural barriers for victims of climate inaction to seek recognition of their rights not only in international courts but also in national courts, ensuring access to climate justice.
(6) Development of integrated legal frameworks that consider the protection of the rights to life, health, and the environment as interdependent and indivisible.
(7) Discussion of robust and objective methodologies to determine the direct causal link between governmental environmental inaction and specific impacts on individuals' lives.
(8) Possible pathways for the interpretation and application of international treaties that create spaces for economic, human rights, and environmental integration in a cohesive and coherent manner

This call for papers invites a diverse audience, including academics, lawyers, judges, economists, businesspeople, sociologists, politicians, researchers, students, and other interested parties to submit papers that discuss these issues, propose innovative solutions, and evaluate the future implications of these topics.

For submissions, the following guidelines must be observed:
a. Submission of an abstract, with a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 600 words, outlining the proposed article by 11:59 PM on July 8, 2024, to the email address temasdeintegracao@fd.uc.pt
b. Authors of abstracts accepted by the journal must submit their complete articles by 11:59 PM on September 15, 2024, to the email address temasdeintegracao@fd.uc.pt
c. Articles should be written in Portuguese, English, Spanish, or French, with titles written in the language of the article, Portuguese, and English.
d. Articles should be uniformly formatted in an editable file (.doc/.docx/.odt/.txt), recommended to use Times New Roman font size 12, with 1.5 spacing for the body text and size 10 with single spacing for footnotes, with 2.5 cm margins on all sides.
e. Articles should be between 15 and 25 A4 pages, including references.
f. Adoption of the APA 7th edition style for citations and references.
g. Use of italics instead of underlining, except for URLs.
h. Inclusion of the author's full identification with name, affiliations, email, and ORCID or equivalent.
i. Inclusion of 5 keywords and an abstract with a maximum of 300 characters, including spaces, in the language of the article, Portuguese, and English.
j. Spare use of footnotes, which should not individually exceed 300 characters, including spaces

The final acceptance of complete articles will be decided after a blind review process.

For any questions, please contact: temasdeintegracao@fd.uc.pt

Key dates:

Submission of abstracts: July 8, 2024
Notification of accepted abstracts: July 12, 2024
Deadline for submission of complete articles: September 15, 2024
Notification of accepted complete articles: October 15, 2024
Deadline for any adjustments: November 10, 2024
Expected publication date: January 31, 2025

References

Caso habitantes de La Oroya vc. Perú, sentencia de 27 de noviembre de 2023, Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Disponível em https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_511_esp.pdf

Case of Verein Klimaseniorinnen Scweiz and others v. Switserland (Application n.o 53600/20), European Court of Human Rights, Grand Chamber. Disponível em https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-233258

Case of Duarte Agostinho and others against Portugal and 32 others (Application n.o 39371/20), European Court of Human Rights, Grand Chamber. Disponível em https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-233261

Request for an Advisory Opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (Application n.o 7189/21), International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Disponível em https://www.itlos.org/en/main/cases/list-of-cases/
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About the Journal “Temas de Integração”

The Journal “Temas de Integração” of the “Associação de Estudos Europeus de Coimbra” (AEEC) is a scientific publication specializing in issues related to regional integration in Europe and other regions of the world. Given their potential to promote peace, prosperity, and sustainability, international integration processes have become a topic of growing interest in today's world. The articles published contribute to advanced interdisciplinary reflection on integration themes, adhering to the principles of impartiality and scientific rigor. The journal appeals to all those who, in public or private contexts, academic or professional, business or associative, have an interest in understanding the complexity and challenges posed by new forms of international governance.