The sixth meeting of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, being held from 15-17 December 2004 in Geneva, will examine a submission made by the Government of Romania concerning an alleged violation by neighboring Ukraine of the Convention’s public participation provisions in decision making on the Bystroe Canal project in the Danube Delta. The Committee also will consider communications received from the public about the alleged failure of Parties to comply with their obligations under the Convention. 10 communications from NGOs and individuals have so far been received by the Committee.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The Committee is not designed to be a remedy for cases, but on the basis of the public’s communications it can make recommendations to the concerned Parties or to the Meeting of the Parties, the Convention’s governing body. According to Mr. Yves Lador of the NGO Earthjustice, “Such a procedure goes beyond the usual and essential dialogue between States and non-governmental organizations. It can open new possibilities for all actors in the environmental field.”
For more information on the Compliance Committee, please visit www.unece.org/env/pp/compliance.htm.
