Aarhus Convention information sent to Tara

    | Traductions | Übersetzungen | Traduzioni | Traduções | Traducciones |

 

     
 
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2003 5:47 PM
Subject: The Aarhus Convention
 
Brendan,
 
The two sheets I gave you yesterday contain only a VERY small amount of information on The Aarhus Convention. 
 
Please find additional information on it below.
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
" Specifically, the Aarhus Convention aims to:
  • allow members of the public greater access to environmental information held by public authorities, thereby increasing the transparency and accountability of government;
  • provide an opportunity for people to express their opinions and concerns on environmental matters and ensure that decision makers take due account of these;
  • provide the public with access to review procedures when their rights to information and PARTICIPATION have been breached, and in some cases to challenge more general violations of environmental law."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
The above quote comes from a European Commission publication titled "Environment DG Information Brochure" - which was published in 2002 (as far as I know). 

The capitals used above for the word PARTICIPATION are mine.  

 
ACCORDING TO THE  "Environment DG Information Brochure", THE AARHUS CONVENTION HAS BEEN SIGNED BY OVER 40 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: INCLUDING ALL 15 EU MEMBER STATES.
 
The "Environment DG Information Brochure" further states that the Aarhus Convention "ENTERED INTO FORCE ON OCTOBER 30th 2001."
 
As far as the Republic of Ireland is concerned, and in spite of The Aarhus Convention, it appears to me that senior politicians are (in effect) still the ONLY ones who get to participate in planning matters connected with new roads, superdumps, pesticide-use and so on: at the present time.
 
As the overall situation can get a bit confusing regarding all the conventions and laws connected with the protection of the environment here in Ireland, I have made a hurried attempt to list out the main ones I know of at the following address:
http://www.finnachta.com/TheAarhusConvention.htm
 
As many of the people I talk with do not seem to be aware of some (and in certain cases all !!) of the above information, I am copying it to a few groups I have contact with - in the hope they will pass it on to others.
 
Finally, it may also be worth mentioning that, quite unlike the United Nations situation with "Agenda 21" at the present time (in so far as I know), the European Union actually DOES have facilities up-and-running for the individual citizens of all Member States to complain directly to the European Parliament when they feel they are not being treated right by their respective governments. 
 
Regards,
 
Billy.
 
PS: Personally, and as things are here at the present time, I feel it might save an awful lot of time and energy (and e-mails), if people in the Republic of Ireland were to complain directly to the European Parliament regarding environmental issues which concern them.  (I have added the necessary information on how to lodge a "petition" - which I see as a polite term for "complaint" - to the Internet page address provided above).
 
     
 

CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION:

Extract from Preamble:

     
    "Conscious of its spiritual and moral heritage, the Union is founded on the indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; it is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice."  
     

http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/unit/charte/index_en.html


CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS:

http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/005.htm


Translations:
 

AltaVista        TRANSLATIONS        AltaVista  

     | Traductions | Übersetzungen | Traduzioni | Traduções | Traducciones |

 
   
 
   
 
 

^ ^ ^  Top of page  ^ ^ ^

              Google
 

^ top ^               Home Page www.finnachta.com. Home Page               ^ top ^

Home    Home

PAGE HISTORY:
First placed on the Internet:
October 4th 2003
Most recent update:
October 4th 2003


Copyright © 1999 to 2003 by William Patrick Finnerty.
 All rights reserved.


Except for short quotes of the kind used by Internet search engines (and by the media), the electronic text and graphic images on this page which belong to Mr. William P. Finnerty may be not copied for any kind of commercial purpose without his prior written consent (contact information provided below).

The electronic HTML code used to create the particular layout of this page is also copyright protected; and it may not be copied by anybody without the prior written consent of Mr. William P. Finnerty (contact information provided below).

PLEASE NOTE:

IT IS PERMISSIBLE for any individual person to make a printed copy (or an electronic copy) of this page (or any other page at this site) for their own personal use without seeking the author's permission.
It is also permissible for anybody to print the www address of this Internet page in publications and communications of all kinds; and/or, to provide electronic links to this page without seeking the author's permission.

The full World Wide Web Internet address for this particular page is:
http://www.finnachta.com/Tara.htm


Web site design: William (Billy) Patrick Finnerty.

Internet www addresses:

  http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/    or   http://www.finnachta.com/

 Email:  wfinnerty@eircom.net    or   finnachta@finnachta.com
Normal Mail: "St Albans", New Inn, Ballinasloe, County Galway, Republic of Ireland.
Top of page     PHONE (from Republic of Ireland):  Ballinasloe (0905) 75825     Top of page
     FAX:  Ballinasloe (0905) 75853

   
PHONE (International):  00 353 905 75825  &  FAX:  00 353 905 75853

Top of page

Hit Counter

Home Page www.finnachta.com. Home Page

Home    Home