Ekologové volají po odložení ratifikace Aarhuské úmluvy Evropskou unií

17.2.2005
BRUSEL [EEB - European Environmental Bureau]
Autor: John Hontelez

Evropská environmentální kancelář (EEB) – největší evropská federace ekologických NNO vyzývá EU k odkladu ratifikace Arhuské úmluvy. Dle EEB je současný návrh nařízení pro implementaci Arhuské úmluvy evropskými institucemi, který schválila rada ministrů životního prostředí, v rozporu s podstatou Arhuské úmluvy. V tomto návrhu je občanům a environmentálním organizacím odepřena možnost přístupu k Evropskému soudnímu dvoru a možnost žádat tak nápravu v případech, kdy jsou porušovány zákony o životním prostředí. Pokud nebudou provedeny potřebné změny a návrh bude přijat v aktuální podobě, hrozí, že Úmluva bude ratifikována bez jedné své stěžejní části, kterou je právo občanů a organizací na přístup k právní ochraně.


The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Europe's largest federation of environmental citizens' organisations, is calling for the EU to POSTPONE ratification of the Aarhus convention. According to the EEB, the current intentions of the EU violate the spirit of this Convention, which lays down rights for citizens with regards to access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters.

'The Common Position agreed by the Environmental Council on the draft regulation to implement the Aarhus Convention by the EU institutions is in conflict with the objectives of that Convention', said John Hontelez, EEB Secretary General. 'The Council denies citizens and their environmental organisations access to the European Court in order to question EU Institution activities which violate EU environmental law. The EEB insists that the European Parliament, Council and Commission correct this decision in the upcoming second reading. Only then would ratification be justified."

In a letter to the Permanent Representatives of EU member states, the EEB details how in Part IV article 9 of the Environment Council's Common Position on the draft Regulation (adopted on 20 December last year), the Council has replaced the instrument of a Commission "Decision" with that of a "written reply", in cases where environmental NGOs are seeking an internal review with the Commission. By making this change, the Council, in the view of the EEB, effectively limits access to justice and maintains the current status-quo in the EU, whereby only those with a direct and individual interest have the right to go to the EU Court.

Permanent Representatives are due to meet on 17 February to finalise, on behalf of the European Community, the ratification procedure of the Aarhus Convention. However, according to the EEB, if the proposal is adopted as it currently stands, this will mean that the Convention will be ratified with one of its essential parts - that of access to justice - missing. Instead of ratifying the Convention in this diluted form, a second reading is needed to resolve the issue.

"The EEB calls for a postponement of the decision, while more work is done on drafting Part IV. Otherwise the EC will leave itself wide open to criticism that it has ratified the Convention without taking its requirements seriously."

FOR MORE INFORMATION
John Hontelez, EEB Secretary General, hontelez@eeb.org, + 32 2 289 1091, + 32 486 512127

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