On 16 March 2004 Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters entered into force.
The Convention is considered as a new model of relationship on international, national and local level. It is aimed to increase public and NGOs participation in the forming and implementation of the environmental policy as well as to inform citizens about the environmental quality. The Convention promotes also public awareness and responsibility in environmental protection. The implementation of this model will ensure fulfillment one of the basic principles of the sustainable development, in the context of the World Summit on Sustainable Development’s decisions.
The Convention is signed by 40 member Parties of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and entered into force in October 2001. Till now 26 countries have ratified it. Among them are Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Malta, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.
The Republic of Bulgaria signed the Convention on 25 June 1998 in Aarhus, Denmark, during the Fourth Ministerial “Environment for Europe” Conference.The implementation of the Convention will ensure to take into consideration environmental concerns in cases of development and implementation of sector policies, strategies, action plans, programmes and projects.
The ratification of Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters will affect positively on the accession to European Union.