UNECE Aarhus Clearinghouse

Montreal, 8 November 2013—The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has submitted a request to the Government of Canada for further information in response to a letter from Canada concerning submission SEM-12-001 (BC Salmon Farms). In the BC Salmon Farms submission, the Submitters assert that Canada is failing to effectively enforce certain provisions of the federal Fisheries Act.

The Castilian Party (PCAS) denounce, in Spanish and European courts, the so-called Pact of the Tagus, if it acquires the force of law in the terms announced.

The ministries of Urban Development and Environment and the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs have persistently shunned vital questions from Today's Zaman concerning several mega-projects planned in Ýstanbul that scientists warn will likely have disastrous effects on the environment over the long term.

The ministries of Urban Development and Environment and the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs have persistently shunned vital questions from Today's Zaman concerning several mega-projects planned in İstanbul that scientists warn will likely have disastrous effects on the environment over the long term.

Aarhus Clearinghouse has become an important platform for news and resources on public participation in environmental decision-making. This environmental democracy tool promotes news and resources relevant to public's right to access environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making and achieve justice on environmental matters. Basic statistics on usage of Aarhus Clearinghouse have been recently prepared by the Aarhus Convention secretariat. The results show that over 6000 people annually use the Aarhus Clearinghouse tool in order to obtain more information relevant to the pillars of Aarhus Convention. Only in October 2013 this web tool has been viewed over 600 times. To find out which are the top10 countries using the tool click the link below.

Leipzig / Berlin (ots) - after the action of the German Environmental Aid Association (DUH) to environmental organizations now take action against all breaches of EU law - fundamental judgment committed state of Hesse, to take effective measures to improve air quality in Darmstadt - DUH expected significant improvement of official plans and decisions, however, no flood of law suits

NEW YORK / GENEVA (28 October 2013) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on transitional justice, Pablo de Greiff, warned that “unaddressed human rights violations are spoilers of sustainable development,” and urged the UN and its Member States to incorporate goals on access to justice and remedy in the post-2015 development framework.

Collective redress mechanisms are largely unknown in the EU. The Member States are required only secondarily due to some legal provisions and international agreements, in certain cases provide for the possibility of a collective injunction. For example, are in the area of consumer law, the Injunctions Directive) public and private consumer protection organizations the opportunity to infringements of national and EU consumer law remedy in all Member States. In the area of environmental law in turn the Aarhus Convention (1998) requires) the Member States to provide a legal remedy for breaches of environmental standards. Accordingly, these also have a form of collective injunctive introduced in the non-governmental organizations (NGOs NGOs) are given the opportunity to take legal action against administrative acts in environmental matters.

Berlin - The European Commission plans may withdraw its proposal for a Soil Framework Directive. In a press release of the European Commission to the REFIT program (Regulatory fitness and performance programs), reduce bureaucracy and simplify legislation should, it says, "For a number of proposals that are blocked by co-decision, there is little prospect that the method can be completed. The Commission is therefore withdraw several proposals, including the Soil Protection Directive ... "

Cork will be the first stop on a national roadshow to explore citizens’ rights of access to information, participation and justice in environmental matters.

Any document containing information related to emissions into the environment must be made accessible without restriction, in line with the Aarhus Convention, ruled the EU Court of Justice, on 8 October 2013 (Case T-545/11). The Court ruled against the European Commission for failing to respect this principle by refusing to transmit to Greenpeace and PAN-Europe certain parts of the assessment report on glyphosate (an active substance used in the production of pesticides). The EU judges thus held that public interest prevails over individual interests on matters of the release of substances into the environment.

The State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry is preparing the next national report on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention "On Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Protection" in Kyrgyzstan.

The Supreme Court has been asked to overturn a decision giving a residents group the right to legally challenge a €270 million extension to the Ringsend sewage treatment plant in Dublin. The court has reserved its judgment to a later date.

The European Commission announced yesterday (2 October) that it is considering withdrawing a number of proposals that have stalled in the legislative process as part of a ‘regulatory fitness check’ aimed at making European Union law lighter. These include the long-stalled soil directive, a directive simplifying VAT obligations, a proposal on the statute of a European private company and legislation implementing the Aarhus Convention on free access to information about environmental decisions by local governments.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government invites comments from interested parties on the implementation in Ireland of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (known as the Aarhus Convention) in Ireland.

Federal Customs Service of Russia has decided to impose restrictions on the transit transport as of September 14.

At the next turn of the scandal may be the ski resort project "Kok - Zhailau". In the valley of the same name by the Ile - Alatau National Park , where the authorities' plans must accommodate the tourist complex, conservationists have found special equipment . Her photographs are replete with internet access . The indignation of the opponents of the resort there is no limit - according to them, is just preparing the project documentation.

In a ruling handed down on 13 September, the EU General Court rejected an action, brought by the environmental organisation ClientEarth, for annulment of the European Commission's decision not to transmit certain studies on the conformity of member state laws implementing EU environmental legislation.

Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in the face of an expert of the Institute of Information Law (Moscow), Dmitry Golovanov prepared comments to the bill. "I applaud the efforts of the authorities to increase the transparency and accountability of public institutions," - said Mijatovic in a letter to the chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives for Industry, Fuel and Energy Complex, Transport and Communications Dmitry Kharitonchik. She stressed that the bill does not comply with the principle of maximum disclosure of information and contains the conditions which in practice may lead to arbitrary and unreasonable restriction of access to information.

British newspapers are reporting that the future of British wind farms could be in question after a United Nations Economic Commission Europe tribunal ruled that the UK Government acted illegally in denying the public decision-making powers over their approval.