Netherlands and Spain have become the latest countries to ratify the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Following the different avenues spelled out in the Convention, Netherlands ‘accepted’ the treaty on 29 December 2004 while Spain ‘ratified’ the agreement on the same day. Following on the heels of ratification by Finland, this brings the total number of Parties to the Convention to thirty-two.[1]
The Aarhus Convention is the world’s most far-reaching treaty on environmental rights. It seeks to promote greater transparency and accountability among government bodies by guaranteeing public rights of access to environmental information, providing for public involvement in environmental decision-making and requiring the establishment of procedures enabling the public to challenge environmental decisions.
The Convention was adopted in Aarhus, Denmark, in June 1998, and signed by 39 European countries and the European Community. It entered into force in October 2001 and its Parties now include most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and slightly more than half of the EU member States. The European Community itself is preparing for ratification and is currently negotiating the necessary implementing legislation. On 20 December 2004, the European Council of the EC reached a political agreement on a Regulation that will apply the Convention’s provisions to Community institutions and bodies.
Netherlands' acceptance of the treaty does not extend to their country's overseas territories. Previously, Denmark had entered a similar reservation, declaring that Danish ratification does not mean that the Faroe Islands and Greenland would be covered by the treaty. Such matters may be left up to 'Home Rule' authorities.
[1] Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.
