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Fourth meeting of the Task Force on Access to Information under the Aarhus Convention

08 - 10 December 2015
Salle XI, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland

The fourth meeting of the Task Force on Access to Information  under the Aarhus Convention  took place from 8 to 10 December 2015 in Geneva (Palais des Nations, Salle XI).

At the meeting, delegates continued the exchange of information, experiences, challenges and good practices, as well as the discussion on possible further developments regarding public access to environmental information. The meeting focused on the scope of information, its quality and associated costs, the application of certain restrictions on access to environmental information, dissemination of environmental information through electronic information tools and the further development of the Aarhus Clearinghouse and national nodes. The agreed outcomes of the meeting can be found in document AC/TF.AI-4/Inf.5 below.

The background material for the meeting included relevant information derived from 2014 national implementation reports  and the synthesis report  as well as the Implementation Guide, relevant Compliance Committee findings of a systemic nature  and jurisprudence database. The Task Force on Access to Information continues its work based on the outputs of the previous meetings.

Read more about the meeting here.

Documents

Documents title
ENG

FRE

RUS
Provisional Agenda (AC/TF.AI-4/Inf.1) PDF    
List of speakers PDF    
Report of the fourth meeting (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/3) PDF PDF PDF
Key outcomes of the meeting (AC/TF.AI-4/Inf.5) PDF    
List of participants PDF    
Documents relevant to all agenda items      
Findings of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee of a systemic nature on access to environmental information (AC/TF.AI-3/Inf.2) PDF    
Overview of case law on access to environmental information (AC/TF.AI-4/Inf.2) PDF    
OHCHR Information note “Right to information on hazardous substances and wastes” (the full report available in English, French and Russian here) PDF    
Statement by the United Kingdom PDF    
Item 2. Environmental information: improving public access      
Charges for supplying environmental information: implementation outlook (AC/TF.AI-4/Inf.4) PDF    
Item 3. The application of certain restrictions on access to environmental information in accordance with the Convention's provisions      
Statement by Bulgaria PDF    
Statement by Justice and Environment PDF    
Item 4. Effective dissemination of environmental information      
Decision II/3. Recommendations of the Meeting of the Parties on electronic information tools PDF PDF PDF
Draft questionnaire to monitor the implementation of Recommendations in Decision II/3 (AC/TF.AI-4/Inf.3) (in track changes to the 2013 questionnaire 
                                                 and clean)
PDF
DOC
   
International Open Data Charter      
Item 5. Priority areas for action on emerging and systemic issues      
GA Resolution A/RES/70/1 "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" (document is available in English, French and Russian)

 

Statements and Presentations

Title ENG FRE RUS
Mr. Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur to the Human Rights Council on Human Rights and Hazardous Substances and Wastes PDF    
Item 2 - Environmental information: improving public access      
(a) Scope of environmental information and its provision by different public authorities      
Mr. Diarmuid Goulding, Office of the Commission for Environmental Information, Ireland PDF    
Mr. Marko Van der Voort, the Netherlands PDF    
Ms. Piera Laloux, European Investment Bank PDF    
Ms. Mara Silina, European ECO Forum PDF    
(b) Quality of environmental information      
Mr. Nick Teall, United Kingdom PDF    
Ms. Tamara Malkova, NGO “Green Dossier” PDF    
(c) Associated costs      
Mr. Adrian Panciuc, Republic of Moldova PDF    
Item 3 - The application of certain restrictions on access to environmental information in accordance with the Convention’s provisions      
(a) Proceedings of public authorities, international relations, national defence, public security and the course of justice      
Ms. Enkelejda Malaj, Albania PDF    
Ms. Elena Dumitru, Romania PDF    
Mr. Adam Foldes, Transparency International (prezzi presentation) ZIP    
(b) Material in the course of completion or internal communication      
Ms. Salome Sidler, Switzerland PDF    
(c) Commercial and industrial information, intellectual property rights and interests of a third party      
Mr. Thomas Schomerus, Leuphana University, Germany PDF    
(d) The environment to which information relates      
Mr. Daniele Franzone, European Commission PDF    
(e) Ensuring the legitimate application of the restrictions      
Ms. Tina Janjatovic, Serbia PDF    
Item 4 - Effective dissemination of environmental information      
Ms. Tatiana Tökölyová and Ms. Petra Horvathova, Slovakia PDF    
Mr. Rudolf Legat, Austria PDF    
Mr. Stefan Jensen, European Environmental Agency (via video-link) PDF    
Ms. Magdalena A K Muir, Coastal and Marine Union PDF    
Item 5 - Priority areas for action on emerging and systemic issues      
Mr. Michael Nagy, UNECE Statistical Division PDF    
Mr. Rudolf Legat, Austria (on behalf of Mr. Johannes Mayer) PDF    
Item 6 - Activities under other international forums      
Mr. Pierre Bourdon, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency PDF    
Ms Katherine Anderson, GEO Secretariat PDF    
Ms. Virginia Fuse, UNECE Environment Division (THE PEP secretariat) PDF