Die Access Initiative, eine globale Vereinigung von Interessengruppen, hat eine vergleichende Studie über den Stand der „Umweltdemokratie“ in den mittel- und osteuropäischen Mitgliedstaaten der EU veröffentlicht.
The report focuses on national-level implementation of commitments to access of information, participation, and justice in environmental decision-making. Thus, it examines whether significant gaps exist between in-place legislation and subsequent on-the-ground implementation. The performances of Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Ukraine form the basis of the study.
The paper comes to the following conclusions regarding the above-mentioned countries:
- Legal frameworks support the meaningful implementation of access rights;
- access to information is generally satisfactory;
- public participation in decision-making exists, but does not guarantee that it is acted upon;
- access to justice is gradually opening up for environmental matters, and;
- large gaps between commitment and practice exist in areas heavily dependent on financial and human resources.
Read the full report here: