ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS IN THE SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN REGION Preliminary Findings...
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Transcript of ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS IN THE SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN REGION Preliminary Findings...
![Page 1: ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS IN THE SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN REGION Preliminary Findings dr. Csaba Kiss (EMLA) Expert Meeting, 24 February 2014,](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062800/56649de95503460f94ae4db3/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS IN THE SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN REGION
Preliminary Findingsdr. Csaba Kiss (EMLA)
Expert Meeting, 24 February 2014, Geneva (CH)
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Introduction
• 6 + 1 studies on the implementation of Art. 9 of the Aarhus Convention in the SEE Region
• UNECE Aarhus Convention Task Force on Access to Justice
• REC, UNECE, OSCE ENVSEC• 6 + 1 national experts + 1 consultant• Presentation at A2J TF meeting (February
2014) and at MOP5 (June 2014)
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Methodology
• Questionnaire finalized 2013 summer • National expert input 2013 fall• National consultations 2013 winter• Analytical summary 2014 February• Discussion• Finalization• Presentation
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Structure of Questionnaire
• Legislation• Administration• Administrative decision-making (remedies)• Judiciary• Access to information cases• Public participation cases (standing)• Practical features of access to justice
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Findings: Context
• SEE Region in the center of interest for decades
• Major driving force: EU approximation• Conservative regulatory models• Some creative solutions with no systemic
approach• Painful lack of case law in all the Region
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Findings: Legislation
• Modern Constitutions• Full „Norm Pyramids” in environmental issues
(major Act of Parliament + subordinate legislation)
• Large number of laws on specific topics• Aarhus Convention ratified (except 1 case)
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Findings: Administration
• Ministries of the Environment everywhere (local name and competence variations)
• Environmental agencies (usually 2 layers: regional and national)
• Public prosecutors with mostly criminal law competences
• Ombudspersons for reviewing maladministration
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Findings: Administrative decision-making
• General Administrative Procedure Acts (no environmental procedure act)
• 2 level public authorities with an opportunity to appeal
• Public authorities for inspection and enforcement
• No general public information access to 2nd instance administrative decisions
• Members of public can report environmental problems
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Findings: Judiciary
• Elaborate judicial infrastructures• Basic, Regional, Supreme Courts, special
Administrative Courts, Constitutional Courts• Legally independent courts• No lay person participation mostly• No harmonized system of public information
access to court decisions
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Findings: Access to Information Cases
• Freedom of Information Acts but no access to environmental information laws
• Remedy quoted in the refusal of information• Administrative appeal then judicial remedy• Non-responsive public authorities and lack of
legal knowledge in the public
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Findings: Public Participation Cases
• Legal standing based on traditional affectedness doctrine (rights or legitimate interests)
• Exhaustion of administrative remedy as precondition for judicial remedy
• Art 9.3: partly affectedness based and partly not in the Region, in cases true actio popularis
• Appeals have automatic suspensive effect• Filing lawsuit has no automatic suspensive effect but
courts can be asked for injunction• Mediation: laws in place but no practice
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Findings: Timeliness
• Administrative appeal within 15 or 30 days• Court procedure within 30 or 60 days• No time limits for judicial decision-making• Time limits mostly not sufficient or effective
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Findings: Costs
• Administrative appeal non-expensive• Court fees non-expensive except when
proportionate to value of the case• Payment exemption based on personal status,
mostly not for NGOs• Loser Pays Principle• Free negotiation with attorney + Bar
Association Tariffs as minimum• High costs: evidence, bonds• No legal aid in 3 out of 7, not for environmental
cases in the Region
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Findings: Effectiveness
• Lack of • case law• public willingness to sue• public knowledge of the law• legal aid• clear criteria for injunctions• knowledge by the courts of environmental
issues and environmental laws
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Findings of the Expert Meeting
• Similar problems throughout the Region partly due to common legal heritage
• Aarhus Convention: not sure on its direct implementation or what impact it could make
• Need for lawyers in the Region doing environmental cases
• Common problems – common solution probably as part of a large-scale regional project or initiative
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UNECE, REC, OSCE, EMLA
•Thank You!