The public has the right to and access to environmental information held by public authorities possess, helping to fulfil the constitutional mandate to guarantee the right of everyone to enjoy an environment suitable for the development of the person as well as meet the obligation of all to keep it. This right is regulated by Spanish law by Law 27/2006, of 18 July, by which the rights of access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters are regulated.
In Asturias, the instrument of reflection and participation to guide decision-making in regional issues, with direct impact on environmental sustainability, and as a forum for analysis of the environmental situation of Asturias, is the collegiate advisory body, created by the Government of the Principality of Asturias in actions under the Agreement for Competitiveness, Employment and Welfare Asturias 2008-2011.
The Plenary was formed in September 2008 and subsequently met several times, also within the Observatory were established several Technical Papers (Indicators of Sustainability, Environment and Enterprise and, in 2013 Environment and Energy) and Decree by its structure, composition and functioning is regulated regime, and has not been modified by any of the reforms undertaken by successive governments, clearly specified to meet in ordinary session every six months, in addition to meet in extraordinary session. However, the final plenary session of the same day was April 8, 2013, over a year ago, in clear breach of an approved standard.
This breach of the Directives and national legislation prevents participate in making important decisions as the fulfilment of the Council of the Principality of Asturias proposition of law, adopted by the Plenary of the General Board of Asturias on the opposition gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing, and make useless the agreements reached at the first meeting of the Technical Paper on the Environment and Energy on Hydraulic Fracture, which was adopted in anticipation of activities, conducting a document would be submitted for debate by the full Observatory in late 2013, the House that, as mentioned above, has not been held.
