Strategy for Implementing the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters – The Aarhus Convention Pursuant to Article 45, paragraph 1 of the Law on Government (Offi cial Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, Nos. 55/05, 71/05 – amendment, 101/07, 65/08 and 16/11), the Government hereby adopts the Strategy for Implementing the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters the Aarhus Convention Published by: the Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning, Belgrade Editors: Tina Janjatović Nebojša Pokimica Authors: Anita Pirc Velkavrh - Copenhagen, Danmark/Ljubljana, Slovenia Slavko Bogdanović - Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia Andjelka Mihajlov - Belgrade, Republic of Serbia Dragoljub Todić - Belgrade, Republic of Serbia Ivan Jarić - Belgrade, Republic of Serbia Design: comma | communications design Print: Original December 2011 Print run: 100 copies ISBN 978-86-85207-86-0 Th e Strategy was developed with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Disclaimer: Th e views herein expressed are solely those of the author and contributors and do not necessarily refl ect the offi cial position of the OSCE Mission to Serbia. Strategy for Implementing the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters – The Aarhus Convention 4 Content Section 1. Introduction 7 Section 2. International and European Context of the Aarhus Convention 13 2.1. Role and Aims of the Aarhus Convention in an International Context .................................13 2.2. Th e Aarhus Convention and the European Community ..........................................................14 Section 3. Assessment of Conditions and Gap Analysis 19 3.1. Defi nitions ........................................................................................................................................ 22 3.2. Access to Environmental Information ......................................................................................... 26 3.3. Public Participation in Environmental Decision - making ...................................................... 37 3.4. Access to Justice in Environmental Matters ................................................................................43 3.5. Assessment of Overall Legislative Support for Aarhus Convention Implementation ......... 46 3.6. Assessment of Institutional Set-Up and Stakeholder Participation for Supporting Aarhus Convention Implementation ........................................................................................... 52 3.7. Assessment of Information System Development and Access to Information .....................57 3.8. Assessment of Aarhus Convention Requirements on Genetically Modifi ed Organisms ....61 3.9. Education and Awareness of Rights of Access to Information, Participation in Decision Making, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters ...........64 3.10. Summary of the Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for Full Implementation of the Aarhus Convention .............................................................................................................. 68 3.11. Assessment of Financial Resources for Realisation of the Strategy for Implementing the Aarhus Convention ........................................................................................74 3.12. Strategy Implementation Plan and Activities Envisaged in the Area of Aarhus Convention Enforcement ................................................................................................. 74 3.13. Final Provision ................................................................................................................................. 74 Section 4. Action Plan 75 4.1. Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Th reats of theImplementation of the Action Plan for Implementing the Aarhus Convention................................................. 75 4.2. Aims, Principles and Priorities of the Action Plan ................................................................... 77 4.3 Plan of Activities for the Implementation of the Aarhus Convention ....................................79 Annexes Annex 1 Access to Environmental Information- Accordance with the Aarhus Convention Requirements ................................................................................................................................... 98 Annex 2 Public Participation - Accordance with the Aarhus Convention Requirements ................108 Annex 3 Access to Justice - Requirements of the Aarhus Convention Accordance with Legislation, Gaps and Problems in Implementation in the Republic of Serbia ........................................112 Annex 4 Responsible Institutions in the Republic of Serbia for Aarhus Convention Implementation .........................................................................................119 Annex 5 Elements of the National Environmental System Available On-line, and other Databases Relevant for Aarhus Convention Implementation (November 2011) ...............129 Annex 6 Selected Legal Provisions on Pollution Registers, Aarhus Convention/PRTR Protocol, and Legal Comparisons Between EU and Republic of Serbia Legal Systems ......................133 Tables Table A.1 International Conventions and Instruments Related to the Aarhus Convention, and their Implementation in the Republic of Serbia .................................................................14 Table B.1 Compliance with Basic Standards of Article 4 of the Aarhus Convention ............................19 Table B.2 List of Reviewed Environmental Laws (see selection criteria in Subsection 3.5) .................21 Table B.3 Comparison of Defi nitions of Key Terms in Both the Aarhus Convention and the Legislation the Republic of Serbia ..................................................................................22 5 Table B.4 Accordance of the Legislation in the Republic of Serbia with Aarhus Convention Access-to-Information Requirements .....................................................27 Table B.5 Criteria in National Legislation for Refusal to Disclose Information, and their Accordance with Aarhus Convention Provisions .....................................................31 Table B.6 Public Participation: Accordance of the Legislation in the Republic of Serbia with Aarhus Convention Requirements ..............................................................................................38 Table B.7 Accordance of the Legislation in the Republic of Serbia with Aarhus Convention Access-to-Justice Provisions .....................................................................44 Table C.1 Actions and Initiatives of General and/or Cross-cutting Nature ............................................79 Table C.2 Actions and Initiatives for Access to Information ......................................................................82 Table C.3 Action and Initiatives for Public Participation in Environmental Matters ............................88 Table C.4 Actions and Initiatives for Access to Justice ................................................................................93 Table Annex 1 Access to Environmental Information- Accordance with the Aarhus Convention Requirements, Problems in Implementation and Gaps ............................................................98 Table Annex 2 Public Participation - Accordance with the Aarhus Convention Requirements, Problems in Implementation and Gaps .....................................................................................108 Table Annex 3.1 Access to Justice Accordance with Law on Environment Protection, Law on Environmental Impact Assessment and Law on Strategic Impact Assessment on the Environment ..........113 Table Annex 3.2 Access to Justice Accordance with Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, Law on Chemicals and the Law on Protection against Noise ...............................................116 Table Annex 6 Selected Legal Provisions on Pollution Registers, Aarhus/PRTR Protocol, and Legal Comparisons between EU and Republic of Serbia Legal Systems ......................133 Abbreviations Used 136 6 Section 1. Introduction 1. Rationale for Developing the Strategy for Implementing Aarhus Convention Th e Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (hereinaft er: the Aarhus Convention), one of the world’s most advanced international agreements concerning the environment, both guides sustainable development and strengthens basic democratic principles. It requires that all environment-related data be managed openly, and that civil society and all relevant stakeholders have access to information, are allowed to participate in policy making and have the right to live in a healthy environment. In order to protect the right of “present and future generations” to live in a healthy environment, Article 1 of the Aarhus Convention requires signatory Parties to guarantee rights of: access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. Th e rapid and sophisticated development of information- and data-management technologies, as well as increased available information, demands and enables more accurate responses, both from those creating modern policies and those impacted, either directly or indirectly,