Seminar on access to Justice in environmental matters in South-Eastern Europe

Over the past nine years, the implementation of the Aarhus Convention has triggered the development of national legislation and institutional improvements in this field in many European and Central Asian countries.

Access to justice is one of the three pillars of the Convention, whose implementation is a prerequisite for effective access to information and public participation in environmental decision-making. It is therefore important to strengthen the implementation process, in particular of Article 9, to ensure the effectiveness of all provisions of the Aarhus Convention - and thus environmental protection.

The aim of the seminar is to discuss assistance mechanisms to remove or reduce financial and other barriers to access to justice, increase awareness and build capacity for better implementation of the Aarhus Convention provisions.

The participating high-level judges from the South-Eastern European region, and several high-level judges and environmental law experts from other parts of Europe, will discuss the application of the Aarhus Convention on the national level.

The seminar will provide a platform for an exchange of views and sharing of experiences on the basis of the comparison of legislation and cases in each participating country.