Austria: Mayors fear stagnancy caused by lengthier procedures

Mayors in Austria’s county Salzburg are fearing that the implementation of the Aarhus Convention will result in even more bureaucratic and thus longer and costlier approval procedures for environmental activities. While Austria has adopted the Convention in 1998 already, the regional government has not yet implemented it. As there is an ongoing EU infringement procedure against Austria, the adjustment of the laws also in Salzburg is unavoidable from the point of view of Austria’s Green Party. Different stakeholders are now discussing how to proceed.