The EU is now ready for the seventh meeting of the parties to the international Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (MOP7, Geneva, 18-20 October), where, among other things, the EU’s compliance with its international obligations is to be negotiated.
On Monday 11 October, and without debate, the Council of the EU formally adopted the decision on the position to be defended by the EU in these negotiations, which concern several dossiers singled out by the Convention’s Compliance Committee.
The most important of these is the newly adopted EU ‘Aarhus’ Regulation amending EC Regulation 1367/2006 (case ACCC/C/2008/32) (see EUROPE 12806/8), in preparation for MOP7 decision VII.8 in Geneva. But this international decision also concerns cases ACCC/C/2015/128 on State aid, ACCC/C/2013/96 on the list of projects of common interest adopted by the European Commission, and ACCC/C/2014/121 on the update of operating permits under the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive.
The EU wants case ACCC/C/2015/128 to be decided separately and rejects its adoption in order to postpone the decision on this matter. If this is not possible, the EU will take a stand to postpone the adoption of draft decision VII.8f in its entirety until the next session of the Meeting of the Parties. (see EUROPE 12800/9). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)