Access to environmental information, participation of public in environmental decision-making and
access to justice - the 3 pillars of Aarhus Convention.
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Basics of EU Environmental Law
Autumn 2017
Mgr. Vojtěch Vomáčka, Ph.D., LL.M.

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Where to get more info on the EU environmental law?
Výsledek obrázku pro de sadeleer eu environmental law market
http://www.transworld-fp7.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/TW_WP_21.pdf

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Where to get more info on the EU environmental law?
https://www.era.int/cgi-bin/cms?_SID=NEW&_sprache=en&_bereich=artikel&_aktion=detail&idartikel=1252
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Where to get more info on the EU environmental law?
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/pdf/eia_case_law.pdf

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The role of national courts
•National judges are EU judges!
•Obligation to to ask for a preliminary question
•Secondary EU Law interpretation after CJEU
•EU Law ex offo where possible, but Waddenzee/Kraajiveld doctrine applies
•Curia novit iura?
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Interim measures - C‑416/10 (Križan)
Moreover, it is apparent from settled-case law that a national court seized of a dispute governed
by European Union law must be in a position to grant interim relief in order to ensure the full
effectiveness of the judgment to be given on the existence of the rights claimed under European
Union law.
It must be added that the right to bring an action provided for by Article 15a of Directive 96/61
must be interpreted in the light of the purpose of that directive. The Court has already held that
that purpose, as laid down in Article 1 of the directive, is to achieve integrated prevention and
control of pollution by putting in place measures designed to prevent or reduce emissions of the
activities listed in Annex I into the air, water and land in order to achieve a high level of
protection of the environment.

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The role of national courts and the role of CJEU.
The three instruments in the “toolkit” of the national court
1. Consistent interpretation
2. Direct effect
3. State liability

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Consistent interpretation
Marleasing:  „as far as possible‟
Pfeiffer: all national law
No duty before expiration implementation deadline, however, (Adeneler):
courts must refrain as far as possible from interpreting domestic law in a manner which might
seriously compromise attainment of the objective pursued by that directive
Cannot depend on administrative practice (C-508/04, C-50/09)

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Consistent interpretation
C-424/02: Where technical, economic and organisational constraints so allow, Member States shall
take the measures necessary to give priority to the processing of waste oils by regeneration.
http://www.ecomaterials.com.my/assets/Blog/_resampled/resizedimage517348-Waste-Oil-Disposal.jpg
…the definition of such constraints cannot be left to the exclusive discretion of the Member
States. Apart from being contrary to the principle of the uniform interpretation and application of
Community law, interpretation by the Member States alone would make the compatibility of processing
(…) would depend entirely on a policy assessment on the part of the Member State concerned

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Consistent interpretation
Limits to consistent interpretation
•Constitutional position of national courts
•Court is not a legislator or excecutive auhority
•To do whatever lies within their jurisdiction
•No contra legem (legal certainty)
•„A cow is not a horse‟

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Direct effect
Loosening up of the criteria through the years
•In sum: unconditional and sufficiently precise
•Kraaijeveld/ Waddenzee: reviewing available discretion
•Dieter Janecek case
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Consequences:
1. national law inapplicable
2. preclude valid adoption of new national
legislation
3. national law to set aside
4. cannot be applied against individuals
5. Duty for courts and public authorities alike
Problem: National authorities consider direct  effect.

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Direct effect
C-72/95 – Kraaijeveld
where the Community authorities have, by directive, imposed on Member States the obligation to
pursue a particular course of conduct, the useful effect of such an act would be weakened if
individuals were prevented from relying on it before their national courts…

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Direct effect
C-72/95 – Kraaijeveld
Interpretation of a provision of Community law involves a comparison of the language versions
(purpose and general scheme of the rules)
where under national law a court or tribunal hearing an action (…) must or may raise of its own
motion pleas in law based on binding national rules which have not been put forward by the parties,
it must, for matters within its jurisdiction, examine of its own motion whether the legislative or
administrative authorities of the Member State have remained within the limits of their discretion
under Articles 2(1) and 4(2) of the directive, and take account thereof when examining the action
for annulment

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State Liability
Member States can be held responsible for legislative, executive or factual acts.
Individuals who have suffered damage have a right to reparation if:
- the rule of law infringed is intended to confer rights on individuals;
- the breach is sufficiently serious;
- there is a direct causal link between the breach of the obligation and the damage sustained
(environment?)

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State Liability
C-201/02 – no EIA
How far? C-420/11
EU liability?
http://www.viennaairport.com/jart/prj3/va/images/img-db/1325083821944.jpeg

1)Harmonization of environmental requirements
•- principle of subsidiarity: cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, obligation to
refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union's objectives
•2) EU environmental law transposition and implementation.
•- also during period laid for implementation, implementation and the enforcement: member states,
problems of EU control: remote, burden of proof
•3) The role of national courts and the role of CJEU.
•- conflict: annulment, non-application (exemptions)
•- CJEU: interpretation, systematic failures, financial sanctions
•- national courts: consistent interpretation, direct effect, state liability
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Last seminar summary

1)Participation in general
2)The Aarhus Convention
3)Three pillars at the EU level
4)Three pillars at the national level
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Today

•Environmental democracy
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•Affected and close to the source
•Fundamental rights
• (to be able to assert this rights, citizens must participate)
•Helping hand
–to further the accountability of and transparency
–to strengthen public support for decisions
–to promote environmental education
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Public participation?

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•Only procedural rights
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•Wide scope
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•Free or almost free of charge
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•Not necessarily protection of environment – personal interests
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Public participation? Negatives?

2012 – 2016
(approx. 220 cases)
© Vomáčka, Strouhal, Židek, Giňová, Holcnerová

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Public participation? How?
http://www.annarbor.com/assets_c/2013/05/052513_GMO_protest_CS_(3_of-thumb-646x431-143343.jpg
•Petition
•Demonstration
•Referendum
•Information
•Participation in proceedings
•Judicial Protection

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Balancing the system
C-115/09 Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland, Landesverband Nordrhein-Westfalen
eVvBezirksregierung Arnsberg Trianel Kohlekraftwerk Lünen
The German system of judicial review
•involves a “careful and detailed” scrutiny of administrative decisions,
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•admissibility criteria are such that few are able to access this system, particularly groups
bringing actions alleging environmental harm.

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Legal regulation
http://weknowyourdreamz.com/images/ferrari/ferrari-02.jpg

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Effective participation?
Výsledek obrázku pro greenpeace chvaletice Výsledok vyhľadávania obrázkov pre dopyt chvaletice
Výsledek obrázku pro greenpeace chvaletice

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Public participation? How?
Capercaillie - a large, turkeylike Eurasian grouse of mature pine forests. The male has a courtship
display in which it fans the tail and makes an extraordinary succession of sounds.
http://www.jiri-bohdal.com/tetrev-hlusec/99160.jpg

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Marina Isla de Valdecañas
http://zetaestaticos.com/extremadura/img/noticias/0/642/642567_1.jpg

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Public participation? How?
Marina Isla de Valdecañas
•The tourist resort in the province of Caceres, which comprises hotels, 200 luxury villas, a golf
course and a marina.
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•It was declared illegal by a Spanish Supreme Court ruling of 6 February 2014. The resort is
located within a Natura 2000 protected area.
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•The ruling comes after almost a decade of court proceedings, and at this stage the resort is
already close to completion.

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The Aarhus Convention – national level
Various restrictions:
Costs of the proceedings? Costs follow the event rule?
Lilian Pallikaropoulos from Rugby – £ 90.000
Maximum, legal aid, moderation, C-260/11 (Edwards)

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44911000/jpg/_44911738_cement_bbc_512i.jpg

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Sources of legal regulation
Participation at the national level
IL
EU
NL
+                                   +
= 28 different systems

•Principle l of the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment (1972) •Principle 10 of the Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development •UN General Assembly resolutions (1982) on the World
Charter for Nature and (1990) on the need to ensure a healthy environment for the well-being of
individuals
•The Aarhus Convention
•Principle of EU environmental law
•Customary international law?
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International level

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The Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access
to Justice in Environmental Matters
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http://www.iisd.ca/crs/aarhus/mop4/images/generic/unece_convention.jpg

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The Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access
to Justice in Environmental Matters
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The Aarhus Convention
•Adopted on 25 June 1998 in the Danish city of Aarhus (Århus)
•Entered into force in 2001
•All Member States and EU are parties
•Links environmental rights and human rights
•Acknowledges that we owe an obligation to future generations
•Establishes that sustainable development can be achieved only through the involvement of all
stakeholders
•Links government accountability and environmental protection
•Focuses on interactions between the public and public authorities in a democratic context.
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The Aarhus Convention
•Rights-based approach
•A 'floor', not a 'ceiling'‚
•Non-discrimination
•Definition of public authorities
•Non-compliance mechanism
•GMO amendment
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The Aarhus Convention
•“The public” means one or more natural or legal persons, and, in accordance with national
legislation or practice, their associations, organizations or groups;
•“The public concerned” means the public affected or likely to be affected by, or having an
interest in, the environmental decision-making; for the purposes of this definition,
non-governmental organizations promoting environmental protection and meeting any requirements
under national law shall be deemed to have an interest.
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•https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf

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The Aarhus Convention
•Meeting of the Parties
•Bureau
•Working Group of the Parties
•Compliance Committee
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IL (The Aarhus Convention)
EU
MS
The Aarhus Convention
Art. 216 (2) TFEU

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The Aarhus Convention
•Binding nature? Direct application?
•C-240/09: As far as possible
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http://www.lhnet.org/assets/Carnivores/Brown-bear/brown-bear-photo-Michael-Buholzer.jpg

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The Aarhus Convention – EU law
•Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public
access to environmental information
•Directive 2003/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 providing
for public participationin respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to
the environment and amending with regard to public participation and access to justice Council
Directives 85/337/EEC and 96/61/EC
• + number of other environmental directives
• Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on access to justice
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•Regulation (EC) N° 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of
the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in
Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and
bodies
• (information - extends Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001)
• + petitions (EP), ombudsman

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The Aarhus Convention – EU level
•Information (also Art. 15 TFEU, Art. 42 Charter)
•Wide definiton of information (up-to-date, accurate
•and comparable)
•Active (treaties, report on the state of the environment, …/passive) •Exceptions (concerning
possible infringements, adversely affect the protection of the environment)
• - wider than AC!
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The Aarhus Convention – EU level
•Public participation concerning plans and programmes relating to the environment (EIA, IPPC)
-partnership, consultation (EAP, Green books)
•internal review of administrative acts (Any NGO which meets the criteria –  independence,
objective of promoting environmental protection, active for 2 years) •The non-governmental
organisation which made the request for internal review may institute proceedings before the Court
of Justice

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The Aarhus Convention – EU level
•Public participation – problems: narrow scope of acts:
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•‘administrative act’ means any measure of individual scope under environmental law, taken by a
Community institution or body, and having legally binding and external effects;
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•Wide exceptions from administrative acts and administrative omissions in Art. 2 (2).:
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•2. Administrative acts and administrative omissions shall not include measures taken or omissions
by a Community institution or body in its capacity as an administrative review body, such as under:
• (a) Articles 81, 82, 86 and 87 of the Treaty (competition rules);
• (b) Articles 226 and 228 of the Treaty (infringement proceedings);
• (c) Article 195 of the Treaty (Ombudsman proceedings);
• (d) Article 280 of the Treaty (OLAF proceedings).
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•This provision provides illustrative list of exceptions (“such as”) and goes far beyond Art. 2 (2)
of Aarhus (which applies only to decisions of court)

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The Aarhus Convention – EU level
•Kind of disappointing.
•Setting aside a ruling of the General Court it uphelds the validity of EC regulation No 1367/2006
hat strictly confines access to justice to administrative acts of only individual (!) scope.
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•There is now a specific  “Aarhus gap”. The Court of Justice does not bridge the gap by a strong
interpretation in the light of  Aarhus.
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C 401/12 P to C 403/12 P: Art. 9 (3) decision

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The Aarhus Convention – EU level
Acces to justice
• scope of review
• individual concern  - strictly individual economic interests 25/62 (Plaumann).
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• T-585/93 (Greenpeace)
 NGOs + locals
• T-142/03 (waste management in Belgium)
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http://37.233.89.43/sites/default/files/styles/content_large/public/reference-images/endesa.jpg?ito
k=HV0bGwEr

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The Aarhus Convention – EU level
Only the Commission turns out to be personaly affected
What about the Charter ? (Art. 42, 47)

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The Aarhus Convention – national level
Participation at the national level
IL
EU
NL
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= 28 different systems

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The Aarhus Convention – national level
Access to information:
- generally wide and non problematic (Aarhus + EU + CJEU case law + national law)
- one comperhensive system or 1 general and 1 specific for environmental information
- role of national courts
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„Any other natural or legal persons having public responsibilities or functions, or providing
public services, in relation to the environment…“
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The Aarhus Convention – national level
Participation in proceedings
EU: only EIA, IPPC (IED) – not all activities listed in AC
Schutznormtheorie x interest theory
National law: specific conditions (in accordance with national legislation or practice)
Participation fees
- not regulated by AC or EU law
- C-216/05 (Ireland)

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The Aarhus Convention – national level
Access to justice – national systems
• Standing for the members of the public  (definition of “the members of the public”, standing for
individuals, standing for ENGOs and groups, participation as a prerequisite for standing)
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• The intensity or scope of the review
• Costs in the environmental procedure  (“not prohibitively expensive”, loser pays principle,
experts’ costs, Alternative Dispute Resolution)
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• Effectiveness of the procedure (Criteria for injunctive relief, Bonds or cross-undertakings in
damages, timeliness, malicious or capricious actions )

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The Aarhus Convention – national level
Various restrictions:
C-263/08 (Djurgården-Lilla Värtans)
– only NGOs with environmental objectives
- active for 3 years
- 2.000 members
http://www.kungahuset.se/images/18.1a6f639212652d9b15a80002863/1390581460489/KD-karta-s%C3%B6dra-KH
-390x262.jpg

Thank you for your attention J
To be continued…