This article evaluates the extent to which different actors have access to judicial and administrative redress mechanisms in relation to environmental matters at different levels of the EU legal order and whether this combination amounts to a complete system of legal remedies. Recent case law reaffirms the ECJ’s restrictive approach to standing in actions for annulment, which often prevents non-privileged applicants from challenging the legality of EU law in environmental cases. This is contrasted with the demanding approach to grant wide access to national courts, which can lead to the ECJ through preliminary references. The divergent approaches as to what is required at the national and at the EU level is problematic in light of the Aarhus Convention. It also raises concerns as to whether effective judicial protection is achieved, given that preliminary references on validity are rare.