Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2003 5:47 PM
Subject: The Aarhus
Convention
Brendan,
The two sheets I gave you yesterday contain
only a VERY small amount of information on The Aarhus Convention.
Please find additional information on
it below.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
" Specifically, the Aarhus Convention aims
to:
- allow members of the public greater
access to environmental information held by public authorities, thereby
increasing the transparency and accountability of government;
- provide an opportunity for people to
express their opinions and concerns on environmental matters and ensure
that decision makers take due account of these;
- provide the public with access to review
procedures when their rights to information and PARTICIPATION have been
breached, and in some cases to challenge more general violations of
environmental law."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The above quote comes from a European Commission publication titled
"Environment DG Information Brochure" - which was published in 2002
(as far as I know).
The capitals used above for the word PARTICIPATION are mine.
ACCORDING TO THE "Environment DG Information Brochure", THE AARHUS
CONVENTION HAS BEEN SIGNED BY OVER 40 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: INCLUDING
ALL 15 EU MEMBER STATES.
The "Environment DG Information Brochure" further states that the
Aarhus Convention "ENTERED INTO FORCE ON OCTOBER 30th 2001."
As far as the Republic of Ireland is
concerned, and in spite of The Aarhus Convention, it appears to me
that senior politicians are (in effect) still the ONLY ones who get to
participate in planning matters connected with new roads, superdumps,
pesticide-use and so on: at the present time.
As the overall situation can get a
bit confusing regarding all the conventions and laws connected with the
protection of the environment here in Ireland, I have made a hurried
attempt to list out the main ones I know of at the following address:
http://www.finnachta.com/TheAarhusConvention.htm
As many of the people I talk with do not
seem to be aware of some (and in certain cases all !!) of the above
information, I am copying it to a few groups I have contact with - in
the hope they will pass it on to others.
Finally, it may also be worth mentioning
that, quite unlike the United Nations situation with "Agenda 21" at the
present time (in so far as I know), the European Union actually DOES
have facilities up-and-running for the individual citizens of all Member
States to complain directly to the European Parliament when they feel
they are not being treated right by their respective governments.
Regards,
Billy.
PS: Personally, and as things are here at
the present time, I feel it might save an awful lot of time and energy
(and e-mails), if people in the Republic of Ireland were to complain
directly to the European Parliament regarding environmental issues which
concern them. (I have added the necessary information on how to lodge a
"petition" - which I see as a polite term for "complaint" - to the
Internet page address provided above).
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