Strasbourg, 31/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Voting last week (codecision, first reading) on the report by Eija-Ritta Anneli Korhola (EPP-ED Finland) on the amendment of directives on public participation in the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment, the European Parliament strengthened provisions in its proposal. There is above all inclusion of a "recital" recalling that "Article 8 of the Aarhus Convention requires the Community and Member States to strive to promote public participation during the preparation of executive regulations and other generally applicable legally binding rules that may have a significant effect on the environment". Another amendment specifies the definition of "public" and others again aim to indicate that the aim of the directive is to: - obtain "public support for the decisions taken" (and not just to heighten "awareness" of environmental issues); - guarantee its participation "in decision-making which affects the environment" and not only to certain types of process"; - ensure its participation not only in plans and programmes but also in policies; - provide that "Member States shall ensure that, having examined the concerns and opinions expressed by the public, the competent authority makes reasonable efforts to reply to the public individually or collectively, explaining what possible effects the public's participation in the matter concerned has". (See EUROPE of 29 and 30 October, p.11, on the subject of work at the Environment Council on Monday, in Luxembourg).