Access to environmental justice

Access to environmental justice is one of the key pillars to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention). The Aarhus Convention was adopted on 25 June 1998 and came into force on 30 October 2001. The UK and EU ratified the Convention in February 2005, and became parties to it in May 2005.

The three pillars promoting public participation in the Aarhus Convention include:

1. 1

   access to environmental information—see: Environmental information regulation—overview and Practice Note: Access to Environmental Information Directive 2003/4/EC—snapshot

2. 2

   participation in the environmental decision-making process, and

3. 3

   access to justice in environmental matters—see Practice Note: Aarhus Convention UK

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