In Belgium, the three pillars of the Aarhus Convention bring into play authority falling under multiple levels of power.

For the most part, environmental issues have been transferred to the three Regions constituting the federated entities within the Federal State which was created as a result of institutional reforms in 1993.

As a result, from the point of view of its Belgian application, the Convention is mixed. Each authority concerned is responsible for implementing the Convention insofar as it concerns them. Belgium only acceded to the status of Party to the Convention when each of the various Belgian parliaments concerned gave its approval (read the text of 17 December 2002 (FR); (NL), Walloon Regional Decree of 13 June 2002, Flemish Regional Decree of 6 December 2002, Brussels Order of 7 November 2002 consenting to the Convention).

Implementation in Belgium: pillars and authorities concerned

Pillars of the Convention

Belgian authorities concerned

Access to information

In general

Publicity of public authority acts

The right to obtain a copy of a document stemming from a public authority is guaranteed in Article 32 of the Constitution. Both the Regions and the federal authority are responsible for regulating publicity of the administration insofar as it is relevant to them. The texts of the laws and decrees of the various authorities relating to this subject can be consulted on the site of the Moniteur belge

  Public participation

Plans and programmes

Authorisation for industrial projects

Risk assessment

  Access to justice

 Non-judicial administrative appeals

 Judicial appeal

For more information: Environmental matters within the Belgian federal context