Petition push looks to give Europe’s lakes and forests legal rights

By Leonie Cater | 06/01/2026 12:09 PM EDT

Nature should be a considered a person under EU law, a group of conservationists argue.

Picture shows a general view of the Mar Menor Lagoon in La Manga del Mar Menor, Spain.

The Mar Menor lagoon in Murcia, Spain, pictured here on Aug. 25, 2021, is represented by a group of custodians including scientists, politicians and citizens — who are taking a company to court for allegedly contributing to the ecosystem's deterioration. Jose Miguel Fernandez/AFP via Getty Images

Should a lake be allowed to hire its own lawyer and sue a company?

It may sound unlikely, but that’s the goal of a group of European conservationists.

A newly registered European Citizens’ Initiative petition calls on the European Union to come up with legislation that would let polluted rivers or deforested woodlands “take” their polluters to court, giving natural bodies legal rights akin to those of a company.

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If the petition’s backers gather more than a million signatures across at least seven EU countries, the European Commission must at least consider the proposal.

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