Press releases
19.November 2002 - 00:00
Public access to environmental information
Parliament adopted 47 amendments at second reading on 30 May 2002 and constituted its delegation on 2 July. After hard negotiations between the Conciliation Committee on 5 November and several trialogues and meetings of the respective delegations on the day after, a final agreement was reached in the afternoon of 6 November.
The Parliament's wishes to clarify the scope and purpose of the Directive to promote the use of modern information technology were taken into account in the agreement reached. The contamination of the food chain is included in the definition of environmental information. Parliament and Council also agreed that public authorities should be obliged to actively assist citizens seeking information. It is important from the citizens' rights point of view that public authorities should have to take into account the public interest served by disclosure when considering whether to withhold information. The name of the authority preparing the reply to the request from a citizen and the date of completion of the documents also has to be released.
Throughout the procedure the Parliament emphasised the need to enhance the quality of information. Under the agreement reached information supplied by the public authorities has to be up-to-date, accurate and reliable. On the question of fees, Parliament and Council agreed that as a matter of principle, information should be given for free and that in any case the charges levied should not exceed "a reasonable amount".
By reaching an agreement on this Directive, the European Community has taken the first step towards ratification of the UN 1998 Århus Convention.
The third reading in Parliament will be held in December in Strasbourg.
Directive on public access to environmental information (2000/0169 (COD) – Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, Rapporteur: Ms Eija-Riitta Korhola – Delegation Chair: Mrs Charlotte Cederschiöld
Parliament adopted 47 amendments at second reading on 30 May 2002 and constituted its delegation on 2 July. After hard negotiations between the Conciliation Committee on 5 November and several trialogues and meetings of the respective delegations on the day after, a final agreement was reached in the afternoon of 6 November.
The Parliament's wishes to clarify the scope and purpose of the Directive to promote the use of modern information technology were taken into account in the agreement reached. The contamination of the food chain is included in the definition of environmental information. Parliament and Council also agreed that public authorities should be obliged to actively assist citizens seeking information. It is important from the citizens' rights point of view that public authorities should have to take into account the public interest served by disclosure when considering whether to withhold information. The name of the authority preparing the reply to the request from a citizen and the date of completion of the documents also has to be released.
Throughout the procedure the Parliament emphasised the need to enhance the quality of information. Under the agreement reached information supplied by the public authorities has to be up-to-date, accurate and reliable. On the question of fees, Parliament and Council agreed that as a matter of principle, information should be given for free and that in any case the charges levied should not exceed "a reasonable amount".
By reaching an agreement on this Directive, the European Community has taken the first step towards ratification of the UN 1998 Århus Convention.
The third reading in Parliament will be held in December in Strasbourg.
Directive on public access to environmental information (2000/0169 (COD) – Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, Rapporteur: Ms Eija-Riitta Korhola – Delegation Chair: Mrs Charlotte Cederschiöld