Brussels, 07/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on 31 March, the European Parliament gave its green light to the full application, within the EU of the international Aarhus Convention on public access to information, involvement in the decision-making process and public access to justice on environmental issues. In its adoption of two reports by Eija Riitta Korhola (EPP-ED, Finland), the Parliament approved the proposed regulation on the application of the Aarhus principles to Community bodies and institutions, and the proposed decision for the Community to ratify the Convention.
Adopting the report by Inger Schörling (Greens/EFA, Sweden), the plenary gave its approval to the proposed directive on access to justice on environmental issues (third pillar of the Convention), which will confer the right to engage administrative or legal proceedings on "entities" qualified to represent citizens' interests, to challenge the actions or shortcomings of private persons and public authorities infringing Community environment laws.
Inger Schörling voiced her satisfaction with the vote, because "this legislation will play an extremely important role in guaranteeing that environmental law to protect the environment, human health and natural resources is implemented", and her disappointment that the Parliament had agreed to the restrictive criteria (organisational and geographical) imposed by the European Commission on entities qualified to appear in court.
Amendments voted through by the EP aim primarily to clarify the conditions of public access to information and to extend its scope, specifying that Member States are free to grant wider public access than provided by the minimum requirements of this Community legislation.
The Aarhus Convention is an instrument of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, signed by the Community and the Member States in 1998.