Public Participation in the EIA Convention and SEA Protocol
The public and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) have a vital role to play in
the development, implementation and support of the
Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in
a Transboundary Context (the EIA Convention) and
its Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment
(the SEA Protocol).
Decision II/3 of the Second Meeting
of the Parties to the EIA Convention highlights
some of the values of public participation in EIA
in a transboundary context: Public
participation in EIA in a transboundary context
will help to:
Improve relations between peoples and countries,
and prevent transboundary environmental conflicts
Develop civil society and democracy in the countries
of the ECE region
Promote the timely disclosure of relevant information
to participants in the environmental decision- making
process
Make people understand and respect the final decisions
on projects
Give an insight into environmental protection and
long-term environmental problems
These values are equally valid
for SEA and the Protocol recognizes this in the
Preamble ("Conscious, therefore, of the importance
of providing for public participation in the strategic
environmental assessment"). Indeed, the "overall
objectives of participation in SEA differ little
from those in the later project-related EIA stages,
i.e. legitimacy and efficiency".[1] One example of how SEA may
increase efficiency is by resolving public concerns
once at the plan or programme level, for infrastructure
development say, rather than repeatedly at the subsequent
project (road or railway line EIA) level.
The public and NGOs can be involved through:
participating
in the environmental assessment of projects
having transboundary impacts, under the EIA
Convention
participating in the environmental assessment of plans and programmes (and perhaps policies and legislation), under the SEA Protocol once it is in force
encouraging their government to ratify and implement fully the Convention and Protocol
The third meeting of the Parties to the Convention adopted guidelines on public participation in transboundary EIA.
Guidelines on public participation in transboundary EIA
ECE/MP.EIA/7
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The Espoo Convention: transboundary environmental impact assessment --- a practical guide for citizens and NGOs - booklet prepared by Andriy Andrusevych for European EcoForum (4.7 MB) |
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Public Participation in Strategic Environmental Decisions: Guide for Environmental Citizens Organizations - pamphlet prepared by Svitlana Kravchenko for European EcoForum (1 MB) |
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Aarhus Convention's environmental democracy clearing house |
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The Convention's provisions for public participation |
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The Protocol's provisions for public participation |
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Help topics |
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[1] Petts, J. 1999. Public Participation
and Environmental Impact Assessment. In J. Petts,
ed., 1999, Handbook of Environmental Impact
Assessment. Blackwells, Oxford, UK.