Democracy denied: How the Commission keeps people out of lawmaking

The article summarizes a case by the NGO ?ClientEarth? who took the European Commission to Court in order to understand a decision not to adopt a Directive underpinning the Aarhus Convention, despite a legal requirement to implement it. The article explores the need and hope for backing up the transparency, required under the Aarhus convention, with execution, by the EU. With its Better Regulation agenda, the European Commission talks big about making EU decisions more transparent and increasing public participation. But the reality is very different, writes Ana‹s Berthier.