The Aarhus Convention, a pillar of environmental democracy
Every person has the right to be informed, to be involved in decision-making and to have access to justice in environmental matters. In short, this is the content of the Aarhus Convention. This key text contributes to creating trust amongst the public in relation to its institutions and, on a broader level, their democratic way of operating. By offering the public involvement in environmental discussions, it meets the requirements of transparency and community, synonymous with good public governance.
One convention, three levers of democracy
The Aarhus Convention grants three fundamental rights to the public and the associations representing it:
It specifically deals with two major issues regarding transparency:
The Aarhus Convention was adopted on 25 June 1998 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and has been in force in Belgium since 21 April 2003. This site provides information on its objectives and the reaching of these objectives in Belgium. For more information: About this site
