UNECE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE The Aarhus Convention An Implementation Guide The Aarhus Convention: An Implementation Guide Aarhus Convention: The Securing the public’s rights through access to information, public participation and access to justice for a healthy environment UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) The Aarhus Convention: An implementation guide © Shutterstock Second edition, 2014 2 FOREWORD BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS More than a decade after its entry into force on 30 October 2001, the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters is more important than ever. The Aarhus Convention remains the most ambitious venture in the field of environmental democracy under the auspices of the United Nations. The Convention is the only international legally binding instrument giving the public broad and concrete rights of participation in decision-making and access to information and justice regarding the environment. Last year, the importance of these rights was emphasized in the outcome document of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The Aarhus Convention’s twin protections for environmental and human rights, and its focus on involving the public, provide a mechanism for holding governments to account in their efforts to address the multi-dimensional challenges facing our world today, including climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty reduction, increasing energy demands, rapid urbanization, and air and water pollution. The Guide is an essential reference for policy-makers, legislators and officials at all levels of government. It contains important guidance for members of the public, including non-governmental organizations, seeking to exercise their rights, as well as for those in the private sector engaged in activities that are subject to the Convention. The Guide will equally interest practitioners and academics specializing in the issues covered by the Convention, as well as States not currently party to the Convention. The second edition of the Guide builds on the considerable experience amassed during the Convention’s implementation. It provides practical examples and offers valuable insights from the findings of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, a unique body inspired by human rights treaty mechanisms. I commend this publication to all those with an interest in promoting environmental democracy and sustainable development. Ban Ki-Moon Secretary-General of the United Nations © Haf Elgar - Friends of the Earth - Cyfeillion y Ddaear Cymru of the Earth© Haf Elgar - Friends - Cyfeillion 3 PREFACE The first edition of the Aarhus Convention Implementation Guide was published in 2000,1 prior to the entry into force of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision- making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) on 30 October 2001. The book was written by Mr. Stephen Stec and Ms. Susan Casey-Lefkowitz in collaboration with Mr. Jerzy Jendrośka as editorial adviser. In recognition that considerable experience in the Convention’s implementation had been gained since the first edition of the Implementation Guide was published, the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention, at its third session (Riga, 13–15 June 2008), requested an updated edition of the Implementation Guide be prepared.2 The second edition of the Implementation Guide was authored by independent experts Mr. Jonas Ebbesson, Mr. Helmut Gaugitsch (assisted by Ms. Marianne Miklau), Mr. Jerzy Jendrośka and Mr. Stephen Stec, and by Ms. Fiona Marshall from the secretariat of the Aarhus Convention, who also served as the project coordinator. In preparing the second edition, the objective was not to rewrite the Guide, but rather to update it in the light of the decade of practical experience gained in the Convention’s implementation since the first edition. Prior to the commencement of the updating process, national focal points and other stakeholders were invited to provide their input on matters they wished to see addressed in the second edition. The draft text for the second edition was circulated to national focal points and stakeholders for three rounds of comments, in November 2010, June 2011 and July 2012. All comments received were taken into account by the authors in the preparation of subsequent versions of the draft text. UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No.: E.13.II.E.3 ISBN 978-92-1-117069-6 e-ISBN 978-92-1-056298-0 4 CONTENTS Foreword ............................................................................................................................ 3 Preface................................................................................................................................ 4 Contents ............................................................................................................................. 5 Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................... 7 About the authors ................................................................................................................. 8 How to use this Guide ............................................................................................................ 9 List of abbreviations .............................................................................................................. 10 List of Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee findings ............................................................. 12 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 15 Preamble ............................................................................................................................. 22 GENERAL PART .................................................................................................................... 41 Article 1. Objective ................................................................................................................ 42 Article 2. Definitions .............................................................................................................. 44 Article 3. General provisions .................................................................................................... 59 PILLAR I - ACCESS TO INFORMATION ........................................................................................ 75 Article 4. Access to environmental information ........................................................................... 78 Article 5. Collection and dissemination of environmental information ................................................. 95 PILLAR II - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING ............................................................ 119 Article 6. Public participation in decisions on specific activities ...................................................... 126 Article 6, paragraph 11. Public participation in decisions on genetically modified organisms ............... 160 Article 6 bis. Public participation in decisions on the deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of genetically modified organisms ........................... 163 Annex I bis. Modalities referred to in article 6 bis ......................................................................... 165 Article 7. Public participation concerning plans, programmes and policies relating to the environment .................................................................. 173 Article 8. Public participation during the preparation of executive regulations and/or generally applicable legally binding normative instruments ................................................ 181 PILLAR III - ACCESS TO JUSTICE ............................................................................................... 187 Article 9. Access to justice ....................................................................................................... 190 FINAL PROVISIONS ............................................................................................................... 209 Article 10. Meeting of the parties ............................................................................................. 209 Article 11. Right to vote.......................................................................................................... 216 Article 12. Secretariat ............................................................................................................ 217 Article 13. Annexes ............................................................................................................... 219 Article 14. Amendments to the convention ................................................................................ 219 Article 15. Review of compliance .............................................................................................. 222 Article 16. Settlement of disputes ............................................................................................ 225 Article 17. Signature .............................................................................................................. 226 Article 18. Depositary ...........................................................................................................