To ensure the highest possible degree of compliance, the Aarhus Convention – like other international agreements on the environment – includes a compliance mechanism. To this end a Compliance Committee made up of eight independent individuals (mainly professors of jurisprudence with a background in international law) has been set up. Its task is to investigate allegations of non-compliance with the Convention.

Proceedings before the Committee can be initiated by a contracting party, by the Aarhus Secretariat or by members of the general public (ordinary citizens and environmental NGOs). On the basis of a report by the Committee setting out the state of affairs and the conclusions reached, the contracting parties can take steps to promote compliance, such as presenting recommmendations or inviting the state concerned to present a compliance strategy.

Findings by the Compliance Committee

Since 2005 one complaint has been hand in by a contracting party wurde and over 50 by representatives of the public (as of October 2010).

On the basis of the Compliance Committee’s findings the contracting parties take their decisions on the further steps; in the frame of the next COP the contracting parties report on the respective activities untertaken.
 
Since its installment, the Complaince Committee has undertaken several legal procedures on the correct implementation of the Aarhus Convention, which are described in the publication "Case Law of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (2004-2008)".