Austria

Austria has ratified the Aarhus Convention, becoming a contracting party in 2005. The box on the right contains the text of Austria’s ratification (BGBl. III Nr. 88/2005 dated 10 June 2005) as download.

European Union

Since the European Union has also signed the Convention, becoming a contracting party in 2005, it was necessary to adapt EU law to the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. In the meantime the Convention has been implemented in a series of legislative steps. In Austria the Convention has been implemented mainly on the basis of EU directives aimed at adapting EU law to the requirements of the Aarhus Convention.

In Mai 2008 the European Commission publisched the first Report on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention on EU level.

The following pages give details of the legislative steps taken to implement the Convention:

>> Directive 2003/4/EG, “Public access to environmental information“

>> Application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and bodies

>> Directive 2003/35/EG, “Public participation in drawing up plans relating to the environment”

>> Access to justice in environmental matters

>> Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)