Aarhus Convention
- (Photo: UN Environment Programme)
International agreement linking environmental and human rights. It was adopted on 25 June 1998 in the Danish city of Aarhus at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in the 'Environment for Europe' process. It entered into force on 30 October 2001.
The convention allows citizens freedom of access to information on the environment, to participate in decision-making and to defend environmental causes.
The EC is a Party to the Convention since May 2005 (Decision 2005/37/EC). The first pillar of the Convention on public access to information was implemented at Community level by Directive 2003/04/EC on public access to information on environmental matters.
The second pillar, which deals with public participation in environmental procedures, was transposed by Directive 2003/35/EC.
A regulation adopted in 2006 is intended to guarantee the application of the provisions and principles of the Convention by Community institutions and bodies.
Notes
Named after the Danish town of Aarhus, where the convention took place. The former Danish Minister of Environmental Affairs, Svend Auken, chaired the meeting.
