Guidance on the Practical Application of the Espoo Convention |
Lead Statement
As a response to the decision (work plan 2001-2003, item 4) at the Second
Meeting of the Parties (Sofia, February
2001) to the Convention on Environmental
Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, the Netherlands, Finland
and Sweden have led a process to develop guidance on the practical application
of the Convention and on bilateral and multilateral
agreements and arrangements. The guidance is the outcome of this process
in which all Parties to the Convention have participated.
The
lead countries suggest the following conclusions for adoption by the Third
Meeting of the Parties.
The Meeting
- adopts the document "Guidance on the Practical Application of the Espoo
Convention" as appended to this decision;
- notes that the Parties can facilitate and greatly improve the practical
application of the Convention by appropriate organisation of tasks and
responsibilities within their countries;
- recommends that the Parties take into account the contents of the guidance
when planning the rules of procedure for applying the Convention and when
planning specific cases where the Convention is to be applied;
- calls on the Parties to distribute the guidance to authorities, specialists,
developers, NGOs and other stakeholders to enhance the awareness of the
existence and contents of the Convention and to support them in applying
the Convention;
- suggests that the Parties report on the use of the guidance to the Secretariat
and the Convention working group on environmental impact assessment in
connection with reporting on the application of the Convention;
- invites the Parties to submit links to their draft and final bilateral
and multilateral agreements and arrangements to the Convention web site.