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A: Transcript of speech will be published here soon
B. The Access Initiative
The Access Initiative is a global civil society coalition promoting access to information, participation, and justic in environmental decision-making: www.accessinitiative.org
Environmental Democracy in Ireland
In September 2006, the Centre for Sustainabilty, IT Sligo, will begin the process of examining Environmental Democracy in Ireland using the Access Initiative research tool to look at "cases" relating to
Access to Information in
Environmental Emergencies, Air and Water quality monitoring, Industrial facility compliance, state of the environment reports and others.
Access to Participation in
Policy making (including laws, plans and strategies), regulatory, project level and other environmental decision-making.
Acess to Justice in relation to
Denial of rights to information and participation, environmental harm, non-compliance and others.
The purpose of this research is to pinpoint the gaps in environmental governance at all levels of responsibility, with a view to enabling pin-pointed capacity building. The research process includes a civil society review panel as well as the core research coalition of IT Sligo, UCC Law Faculty and the COMHAR Secretariat.
If you are aware of particular cases under the above headings, or think that some aspect of governance needs particular attention, please feel free to contact Michael Ewing. The process of case selection is being carried out over the months of June - August 2006. You can download this notice (1.1 MB jpg).
Contact Michael Ewing at (071) 966 37 37 or by email at michael.ewing@o2.ie.
C. Important web sites relating to the Aarhus Convention
Aarhus Convention website:
www.unece.org/env/pp/
Aarhus Convention Text:
www.unece.org/env/pp/treatytext.htm
The Aarhus Convention. An Implementation Guide:
www.unece.org/env/pp/acig.pdf
PRTR Protocol Text (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Protocol):
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/prtr.htm
Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy. Here you can read items relating to the Convention submitted by NGOs, individuals and governments. They are arranged by country, as well as under. Anyone can submit articles:
http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org
Aarhus Compliance Committee. What it is and how to access it:
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/compliance/Pubcom0205.doc
C. Useful addresses to learn about relevant EU Directives
Directive 2003/4/EC on access to information on the environment:
http://friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/pdf/access.pdf
Directive 2003/35/EC on participation in environmental decision-making:
http://friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/pdf/access2.pdf
C. Endnotes
(under construction)
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