Aarhus Convention – Informing and involving citizens in environmental decision making

The Aarhus Convention of June 1998 shapes an environmental agreement. It establishes environmental rights as a firm basis for citizen involvement in policy issues. It acknowledged that we owe an obligation to future generations. It establishes that sustainable development can be achieved only through the involvement of all stakeholders. It links governmental accountability and environmental protection. It focuses on interactions between the public and public authorities in a democratic context and it’s forging a new process for public participation in the negotiation and implementation of international agreements.

In order to do this, people should be informed, made aware and allowed to be involved. These processes are shaped by the implementation of the Aarhus Convention, through Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters: the issues of the Aarhus Convention. Croatia ratified the Aarhus Convention in 2007.
 
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)  and European Commission (EC) were instrumental in developing and supporting the implementation of the Aarhus Convention.

UNECE: Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters:

• 'Introducing the Aarhus Convention'
  http://www.unece.org/env/pp/welcome.html
  http://www.unece.org/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf
  
   
• 'The Content of the Convention'
  http://www.unece.org/env/pp/contentofaarhus.htm 
  
   
• 'Full Text of the Convention'
  http://www.unece.org/env/pp/treatytext.htm
  
   

The EC has adopted a number of Directives associated with the Aarhus Convention.


Directives concerning the first and second 'pillars' of the Aarhus Convention (implemented in national law of the EU Member States by 14 February and 25 June 2005 respectively):

Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003L0004:EN:NOT 

Directive 2003/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 providing for public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment and amending with regard to public participation and access to justice Council Directives 85/337/EEC and 96/61/EC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003L0035:EN:NOT

Other Directives in which provisions for public participation in environmental decision-making are also found:

Directive 2001/42/EC of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of certain plans and programmes on the environment (see also the "environmental assessment" homepage)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32001L0042:EN:NOT 

Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32000L0060:EN:NOT

The Arhus Convention as well as the aforementioned directives have been transposed into Croatian legislation by the Environmental Protection Act (Official gazette, No. 110/07) and by several implementing regulations. 

	Implementation guidance
	Stakeholders involved in the implementation
	Project information
	Publications
	30 October 2008 – Final Workshop on Access to Information and Public Participation in Decision-making in Environmental Matters held
	First National Report on Aarhus Convention Implementation