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The EU provisions on species protection and the environmental assessment together with the corresponding jurisprudence provide us with a wide array of pieces that may appear confusing, in particular if the Conventions of Bern and Rio are taken into account. But like a puzzle these pieces can be assembled into a coherent system that could significantly strengthen the effective-ness of both areas of EU environmental law. This system comprises on two stages: in the first stage the concerns of species protection must be integrated into the environmental assessment and in the second stage the information obtained provides the foundation for the subsequent decisions on plans, programmes and projects. A consequent application of this approach should help to improve respect of species conservation rules in the context of many activities and add "teeth" to the assessment obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with ways in which integration of the UNCRC within national legal systems can help support realisation of the objectives of the UNCRC. Whilst the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child rightly attaches importance to justiciability of the provisions of the Convention, equally important for many of the UNCRC's provisions are strong parliamentary and administrative mechanisms which do not depend on an individual claim of rights violation. Advantages of such mechanisms include greater opportunities for deliberative engagement and for measurement of impact on the lives of children. The article considers the proposed Rights of Children and Young People (Wales) Measure 2010 as a legislative model for such a mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]