The Aarhus Convention at Ten : Interactions and Tensions Between Conventional International Law and EU Environmental Law
Description In 1998, in the Danish city of Aarhus, the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters entered into force. It was signed by representatives of 35 States and the European Community. The contributions assembled in this volume focus on various aspects of the relationship between the provisions of the Convention and the development of EU environmental law. They discuss the new legislative acts and amendments to existing legislation adopted by EU institutions in order to implement the Aarhus Convention. The book addresses tensions that have arisen between normative developments within the framework of the Aarhus Convention and the internal legislation and policies of the EU. These concern contentious issues, such as general access to justice in environmental matters in EU Member States, judicial review by EU courts of acts and omissions of EU institutions, and public participation in product-related regulatory decisions, with respect to genetically-modified organisms and chemicals. Together, the various contributions address synergies and conflicts across the three 'pillars' of the Aarhus Convention and examine the broader legal and institutional implications of these interactions for the development of both EU law and international environmental law.