Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-01-29-Speech-3-145"
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"en.20030129.8.3-145"2
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".
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am naturally very pleased that this directive, which the Commission proposed around two years ago, is now going to be adopted. It supplements the Directive on environmental information. With it, the EU is taking a step closer to the implementation of the Århus Convention. The principles of the Århus Convention are very important, because the environment does not have its own vote, so to speak. Decision-making on environmental matters must, therefore, be open and transparent if we are to afford the environment sufficient protection.
The scope of this directive covers fundamental requirements for public participation in decision-making on the environment. This directive establishes a necessary common framework that also covers matters with a cross-border dimension. The details are left in the hands of the Member States, however. This is important, because public participation must be at the heart of all levels of administration, and the forms it takes must be adapted to decision-making at the various levels.
The directive covers, on the one hand, important plans and programmes to be drawn up in accordance with our environmental legislation, and, on the other hand, decisions on activities that can have a significant impact on the environment. These activities are covered by the Directive on environmental impact assessment and the Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. These two directives are now being supplemented with provisions on public participation and access to justice in accordance with the Århus Convention.
By ‘public participation’ the directive means that the public must be informed about the activities in question and its own right to participate. The section of the public affected is to have the right to comment on a matter at an early stage. Lastly, public bodies are to take due account of the outcome of public participation when making decisions and make their decisions known. The directive also contains provisions on reviewing the legality of decisions that fall within the scope of the provisions.
I should of course like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Korhola, for her intensive work on the directive, and express my gratitude to her and to the members of Parliament’s delegation to the Conciliation Committee for the efforts they have made towards reaching this agreement, which has made it possible for us to adopt this important act tonight."@en1
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