On 27 September 2013 has approved Switzerland's accession to the Aarhus Convention and the related amendments to the Environmental Protection Act to Parliament. This convention of the UN, with full names Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, dates from the year 1998. To date, 46 mostly European countries have already joined the Convention. The Federal Council has deposited the instrument of accession of Switzerland beginning in March 2014 at the UN.
Switzerland already meets virtually all requirements of the Aarhus Convention. In the area of environmental information certain legal changes were required. The Environmental Protection Act was amended to state that the cantons must provide access to environmental information to citizens. At the federal level, there is the public law for some time, such a right of access. Since today also 20 cantons have enacted a public law or adopted soon, the impact of changing the Environmental Protection Act are low. Those cantons, which have not yet adopted the principle of public access can apply the public law of the Federal analogy to the environment. The new rules are the first June 2014 to enter into force. From this time, Switzerland will also formal party to the Aarhus Convention.
