In the conference hall of Viciebsk restaurant "Victoria" was held December 2 to discuss the implementation of the Aarhus Convention by Belarus.
The aim of the event was to familiarize officials and the public to the practice of using the provisions of the Aarhus Convention, the European Economic Commission of the United Nations "On Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters", with national environmental legislation and the practice of judicial protection of citizens' interests in the net the surrounding nature.
CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE INTERESTS OF CITIZENS pure nature
A feature of the convention is that it provides the right of citizens to access to environmental information. Another useful feature of the Convention for the citizens - it gives them the right to participate in decision-making authorities, which affect the ecological situation of any territory. Convention also provides for the right of any citizen to file a lawsuit if government officials do not provide environmental information or impede the public to participate in decisions that affect nature. For example, cutting down on the green area of the garbage bins, or the construction of environmentally hazardous enterprises and objects.
GROWING NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS OF CITIZENS
About Aarhus Convention and the activities of the Republic of Belarus the center said Olga Zakharova, head of the center. In the center of turning citizens to protect their interests in the clean natural environment. During the eight years of activity of the center answered more than 2,200 citizens' appeals.
In the first nine months of 2016 Viciebsk Regional Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection responded to the 191 treatment. Most of them concerned the felling of green space - 68 hits, or a third of all complaints. The second and third complaints about the organization of waste collection and removal (27 applications) and water pollution (22 complaints).
LUNGS OF THE CITY, OR NINE TEMPLE
Tatiana Lopatkina, Deputy Head of the Department of operational control of the Viciebsk Oblast Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, in his speech said:
"In Viciebsk, the next temple on the banks of the Western Dvina River will be built. Some citizens say: "Why do we have temples every 5 meters? We have them already 8 pieces. " Those citizens who are believers, saying: "We need the temple!". According to the rules, if there is a project, there is a public discussion, if there is coordination, as in this case, there is no breach of environmental legislation. Just people are worried about the state of the environment, which smoothly passes on air issues. What we breathe, it is the lungs of the city? "
PROTECT NATURE CAN BE IN COURTS
Sergey Magonov lawyer association of environmental organizations and activists of the "Green Network" told about the judicial practice:
"I formed a small court practice review of environmental cases. In particular, it is the case on public access to environmental information. This appeal refusal of officials to provide environmental information to citizens. For example, the Polotsk City Executive Committee refused to provide information to citizens of Belarus about the destruction of green spaces in the city of Polotsk. Request received from residents of Brest region. The Board of Polotsk wrote that "... the trees are in Polotsk, and what do you care about our trees ...". But, according to the provisions of the Aarhus Convention, any person could make such a request - even a resident of another country. That request was realized the public's right to participate in environmental decision-making. In the process of judicial review of this information was provided to a resident of the Brest region."
