The Aarhus Convention, signed by the Member States and the European Community in 1998, establishes a number of rights of citizens and their associations with regard to the environment.
The Convention is also open to countries outside Europe and, at present, has been signed by 40 countries, while 27 countries have ratified it. Public authorities (at national, regional or local level) have to contribute to allow these rights to become effective.
The European Parliament adopted on 31 March 2004 an important new piece of legislation, which will strengthen the protection of the environment and will be a new step for NGOs actions.
Based on the three "pillars" of the Aarhus Convention (access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters), the first reading report intends to implement the Access to Justice.
As the Green Rapporteur Inger Schörling said : this report (A5-0189/2004) on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive on access to justice in environmental matters(COM(2003) 624, C5 0513/2003, 2003/0246(COD)) recognises the environmental organisations access for them ¨to challenge before courts of law decisions by public authorities and private bodies which are infringing environmental legislation¨.
