How to Protect Future Generations' Rights in European Governance

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Published: Oct 4, 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24357/igjr.5.1.468

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Maja Göpel
World Future Council
Malte Arhelger
World Future Council

Abstract

Given that future generations are right-bearing citizens of tomorrow, legislative systems should secure these rights through appropriate institutions. In the case of the European Union, reference to intergenerational justice can be found in various fundamental legal texts, but, paradoxically, no institutions exist to defend it. The structural short-termism inscribed into representative democracies means that present interests easily trump future concerns. We argue that the best way to overcome this problem is a system of temporal checks and balances. By comparing a selection of existing instruments with regards to their impact on the legislative process, we propose the creation of a European Guardian for Future Generations as the most effective measure to protect the rights of future generations and provide an overview of recent developments in this direction.

Article Details

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No. 1 (2010): Ways to Legally Implement Intergenerational Justice
Section
Articles

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Author Biographies

Maja Göpel, World Future Council

Maja Göpel is a political economist with a focus on institutionalism. Since November 2006 Maja works for
World Future Council Foundation as Director Future Justice.

Malte Arhelger, World Future Council



Malte Arhelger is a political philosopher interested in questions of intergenerational ethics. He is currently working for the World Future Council as a Policy Advisor.

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