Commission welcomes adoption of Directive on public access to environmental information

Brussels, 8 November 2002

The Commission has welcomed the successful outcome of the Conciliation procedure between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal for a Directive on public access to environmental information, which is now finally agreed. The Directive will replace the existing Directive 90/313/EC on the freedom of access to information on the environment. The new Directive improves the public information access provided by existing legislation and is also the first step towards EU ratification of the international convention on access to information, public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters, which was adopted at Aarhus in June 1998.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said: "Citizens' knowledge and understanding of environmental issues will be enhanced through wider and more easy access to environmental information. The environment belongs to them and they have a right to know." She added: "The new Directive is a very important step forward. Not only does it give the public a right of access to environmental information that is held or produced by the public authorities. It also obliges the authorities to make, on their own initiative, such information available on electronic databases that are publicly and easily accessible, like the Internet."

The Directive provides that every natural or legal person, regardless of citizenship, nationality or domicile, has a right of access to environmental information held by or produced by public authorities, for instance data on emissions and discharges into the environment, their impact on public health or results of environmental impact assessments.

Within two years time, the Member States must have implemented the Directive in their respective national legislations.