The Ministry of the Environment and the Estonian Chamber of Environmental Associations held a roundtable meeting to discuss the implementation of the Århus Convention in Estonia. Representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, the Estonian Institute for Sustainable Development, the Estonian Green Movement, the Estonian Fund for Nature and the Nõmme Road Association discussed the possibilities of implementing the principles provided in the UN Århus Convention in the most successful way for the benefit of the people of Estonia. The participants concluded that the best result would be achieved in cooperation. The following subjects were discussed more thoroughly: the preparation of the Estonian report on implementing the Århus Convention that has to be ready by January 2005; the extension of the Århus Convention to making decisions related to GMO-s (genetically modified organisms); and the implementation of the third strand of the Convention in Estonia, which is related to the right of recourse to the court in environmental matters. The subject of introducing the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) in Estonia was also addressed. The Ministry of the Environment is already making preparations for ratifying the Additional Protocol next year. According to the Assistant Minister Olavi Tammemäe, the most important task for the Ministry of the Environment at the moment is developing the criteria for non-governmental organizations: “We have to prepare common qualification standards that determine which citizens’ associations have a right of recourse to an administrative court in environmental matters. The Estonian Chamber of Environmental Associations has made their corresponding proposals which are under discussion in the Ministry right now.” In addition, the Ministry is considering how it would be possible to involve the general public more actively and efficiently in the development of public plans and programmes and legal instruments concerning the environment. The Århus Convention is an agreement made in Denmark in 1998 that was signed by Estonia in June of the same year and ratified by the Estonian Parliament in 2001. The idea of the convention is to give the general public an opportunity to receive information and contribute to making environmental decisions and, if necessary, have recourse to the court in these matters. Both the representatives of the Ministry of the Environment and the Estonian Chamber of Environmental Associations admitted at the end of the meeting that it had been a very constructive roundtable meeting and that according to the proposal of the Ministry, such meetings would be held regularly in the future. The topic of the next meeting, which will take place in October, is the development of waste management in Estonia. Further information: Press Representative, Ministry of the Environment |
