Sub-title: Developing a relationship of trust with the public, ensuring their information and facilitating their participation in the decision-making process in relation to industrial safety, the environment and the quality of life

Country: Greece (Elefsis)

Date: 2011

Category: Legislation, Policies, Project

Tags: Industrial Safety, Modifications to Existing Hazardous Industrial/Chemical Facilities, Public Access to Information, Ombudsman

Organization(s) involved: The Greek Ministry of Environment, the Greek Ombudsman

The Greek Ombudsman investigated a citizens’ complaint concerning the denial by the Petroleum Installations Directorate of the former Ministry of Development (now the Ministry of Environment) to provide information submitted by the company "Hellenic Petroleum SA" in order to obtain permission to upgrade its industrial premises (a new vacuum unit), located in the Elefsis area close to Athens. The information requested had been taken into account for the upgrade approval and expressly mentioned in the text of the ministerial decision adopting the approval. 

Citizens submitted a written request to the Ministry asking information on the upgrade of the industrial premises. The administration asked the interested parties to specify their interest, but then refused to respond to the citizens’ request. Existing legislation (Directive 2003/4/EC, N. 3422/2005, JMD 11764/653/2006) provides that citizens have the right to environmental information without invoking any special interest. The Greek Ombudsman insisted that the requested information could not be classified as an industrial secret (an argument put forward by the administration in its effort to justify its refusal to release the requested documentation). The Ministry of Environment accepted the Ombudsman's opinion and provided all requested documents to the citizens.

In 2012, the modification works to the Hellenic Petroleum premises in Elefsis were completed. The example points out that significant weight should be given to improving the quality of services of the public administration and the consolidation of the above principles of access to environmental information in order to strengthen the rule of law. The experience highlights that to achieve the UNECE Aarhus Convention goals and the provisions of the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, the administration must develop a relationship of trust with the public, ensure that information is duly provided to them, and facilitate their participation in the decision-making process in relation to industrial safety, the environment and the quality of life.

The details of this good practice can be found at:

The Greek Ombudsman’s webpage to access to documents related to the upgrade of units of "HELLENIC PETROLEUM SA": https://www.synigoros.gr/?i=quality-of-life.el.viomhxanies.47935

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