Austria: After Court ruling threatens extended environmental process

The following article is a case summary (C 570/13) in which the European Court strengthens the riparian rights in building permit procedures including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). A local neighbor in Vienna sued because residents and citizens' initiatives were still not integrated and could not do anything against a decision after which an EIA is not necessary. The Court held that it violates EU law, strictly speaking against the Aarhus Convention, which regulates public participation in environmental law.