The process towards access to information and adequate public participation mechanisms began with the EU Directive on Access to Environmental Information of 1990 while in several Environmental Directives specific requirements for public participation were introduced (for example Environmental Environmental Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Water Framework Directive etc.). The preparation and adoption of the UN-ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention) gave a further boost.

The UNECE Aarhus Convention was adopted in the Danish city of Aarhus in 1998. It came into force on 30 October 2001 and now (October 2004) has 30 Parties: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.

Two directives concerning access to environmental information and public participation in environmental decision-making ("first" and "second pillar" of the Arhus Convention) have been adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2003. They have to be implemented in national law by 2005.

On 24 October 2003, the European Commission has adopted three legislative proposals to align Community legislation with the requirements of the Arhus Convention.

 
Aims

A. With regards to the Aarhus Convention

• Effective implementation of the Convention in all EU countries as well as on the EU level.

• Ratification of the EU of the Convention without any reservations, which means that there should be sufficiently clear provisions for access to information, public participation in EU decision-making as well as access to justice on the EU level following the Convention.

B. With regard to Environmental Governance in the EU

• Implementation of the principles of the Aarhus Convention into daily practise of the EU, in particular by its Commission and the Council.

Activities

A. With regards to the Aarhus Convention

• Active involvement in the discussions in and between the three EU Institutions on the draft Directive on Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, and the Regulation on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention for the EU Institutions.

• A survey on the factual implementation and enforcement of the Aarhus Convention in the Member States of the EU.

B. With regards to Environmental Governance in the EU

• Monitoring of the practical implementation of the "general principles and minimum standards for consultation of interested parties by the Commission".