Zakon o ratifikaciji Konvencije o dostopu do informacij, udeležbi javnosti pri odločanju in dostopu do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah (MKDIOZ)

Ratificira se Konvencija o dostopu do informacij, udeležbi javnosti pri odločanju in dostopu do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah, sestavljena 25. junija 1998 v Aarhusu.

Besedilo konvencije se v izvirniku v angleškem jeziku in prevodu v slovenskem jeziku glasi: The Parties to this Convention, Recalling principle l of the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment, Recalling also principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Recalling further General Assembly resolutions 37/7 of 28 October 1982 on the World Charter for Nature and 45/94 of 14 December 1990 on the need to ensure a healthy environment for the well-being of individuals, Recalling the European Charter on Environment and Health adopted at the First European Conference on Environment and Health of the World Health Organization in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, on 8 December 1989, Affirming the need to protect, preserve and improve the state of the environment and to ensure sustainable and environmentally sound development, Recognizing that adequate protection of the environment is essential to human well-being and the enjoyment of basic human rights, including the right to life itself, Recognizing also that every person has the right to live in an environment adequate to his or her health and well-being, and the duty, both individually and in association with others, to protect and improve the environment for the benefit of present and future generations, Considering that, to be able to assert this right and observe this duty, citizens must have access to information, be entitled to participate in decision-making and have access to justice in environmental matters, and acknowledging in this regard that citizens may need assistance in order to exercise their rights, Recognizing that, in the field of the environment, improved access to information and public participation in decision-making enhance the quality and the implementation of decisions, contribute to public awareness of environmental issues, give the public the opportunity to express its concerns and enable public authorities to take due account of such concerns, Aiming thereby to further the accountability of and transparency in decision-making and to strengthen public support for decisions on the environment, Recognizing the desirability of transparency in all branches of government and inviting legislative bodies to implement the principles of this Convention in their proceedings, Recognizing also that the public needs to be aware of the procedures for participation in environmental decision-making, have free access to them and know how to use them, Recognizing further the importance of the respective roles that individual citizens, non-governmental organizations and the private sector can play in environmental protection, Desiring to promote environmental education to further the understanding of the environment and sustainable development and to encourage widespread public awareness of, and participation in, decisions affecting the environment and sustainable development, Noting, in this context, the importance of making use of the media and of electronic or other, future forms of communication, Recognizing the importance of fully integrating environmental considerations in governmental decision-making and the consequent need for public authorities to be in possession of accurate, comprehensive and up-todate environmental information, Acknowledging that public authorities hold environmental information in the public interest, Concerned that effective judicial mechanisms should be accessible to the public, including organizations, so that its legitimate interests are protected and the law is enforced, Noting the importance of adequate product information being provided to consumers to enable them to make informed environmental choices, Recognizing the concern of the public about the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into the environment and the need for increased transparency and greater public participation in decision-making in this field, Convinced that the implementation of this Convention will contribute to strengthening democracy in the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Conscious of the role played in this respect by ECE and recalling, inter alia, the ECE Guidelines on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making endorsed in the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the Third Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 25 October 1995, Bearing in mind the relevant provisions in the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, done at Espoo, Finland, on 25 February 1991, and the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents and the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, both done at Helsinki on 17 March 1992, and other regional conventions, Conscious that the adoption of this Convention will have contributed to the further strengthening of the "Environment for Europe" process and to the results of the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Aarhus, Denmark, in June 1998, Have agreed as follows: In order to contribute to the protection of the right of every person of present and future generations to live in an environment adequate to his or her health and well-being, each Party shall guarantee the rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters in accordance with the provisions of this Convention. For the purposes of this Convention, 1. “Party” means, unless the text otherwise indicates, a Contracting Party to this Convention; 2. “Public authority” means: (a) Government at national, regional and other level; (b) Natural or legal persons performing public administrative functions under national law, including specific duties, activities or services in relation to the environment; (c) Any other natural or legal persons having public responsibilities or functions, or providing public services, in relation to the environment, under the control of a body or person falling within subparagraphs (a) or (b) above; (d) The institutions of any regional economic integration organization referred to in article 17 which is a Party to this Convention. This definition does not include bodies or institutions acting in a judicial or legislative capacity; 3. “Environmental information” means any information in written, visual, aural, electronic or any other material form on: (a) The state of elements of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites, biological diversity and its components, including genetically modified organisms, and the interaction among these elements; (b) Factors, such as substances, energy, noise and radiation, and activities or measures, including administrative measures, environmental agreements, policies, legislation, plans and programmes, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment within the scope of subparagraph (a) above, and cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used in environmental decision-making; (c) The state of human health and safety, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures, inasmuch as they are or may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment or, through these elements, by the factors, activities or measures referred to in subparagraph (b) above; 4. “The public” means one or more natural or legal persons, and, in accordance with national legislation or practice, their associations, organizations or groups; 5. “The public concerned” means the public affected or likely to be affected by, or having an interest in, the environmental decision-making; for the purposes of this definition, non-governmental organizations promoting environmental protection and meeting any requirements under national law shall be deemed to have an interest. 1. Each Party shall take the necessary legislative, regulatory and other measures, including measures to achieve compatibility between the provisions implementing the information, public participation and access-to-justice provisions in this Convention, as well as proper enforcement measures, to establish and maintain a clear, transparent and consistent framework to implement the provisions of this Convention. 2. Each Party shall endeavour to ensure that officials and authorities assist and provide guidance to the public in seeking access to information, in facilitating participation in decision-making and in seeking access to justice in environmental matters. 3. Each Party shall promote environmental education and environmental awareness among the public, especially on how to obtain access to information, to participate in decision-making and to obtain access to justice in environmental matters. 4. Each Party shall provide for appropriate recognition of and support to associations, organizations or groups promoting environmental protection and ensure that its national legal system is consistent with this obligation. 5. The provisions of this Convention shall not affect the right of a Party to maintain or introduce measures providing for broader access to information, more extensive public participation in decision-making and wider access to justice in environmental matters than required by this Convention. 6. This Convention shall not require any derogation from existing rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. 7. Each Party shall promote the application of the principles of this Convention in international environmental decision-making processes and within the framework of international organizations in matters relating to the environment. 8. Each Party shall ensure that persons exercising their rights in conformity with the provisions of this Convention shall not be penalized, persecuted or harassed in any way for their involvement. This provision shall not affect the powers of national courts to award reasonable costs in judicial proceedings. 9. Within the scope of the relevant provisions of this Convention, the public shall have access to information, have the possibility to participate in decision-making and have access to justice in environmental matters without discrimination as to citizenship, nationality or domicile and, in the case of a legal person, without discrimination as to where it has its registered seat or an effective centre of its activities. 1. Each Party shall ensure that, subject to the following paragraphs of this article, public authorities, in response to a request for environmental information, make such information available to the public, within the framework of national legislation, including, where requested and subject to subparagraph (b) below, copies of the actual documentation containing or comprising such information: (a) Without an interest having to be stated; (b) In the form requested unless: (i) It is reasonable for the public authority to make it available in another form, in which case reasons shall be given for making it available in that form; or (ii) The information is already publicly available in another form. 2. The environmental information referred to in paragraph 1 above shall be made available as soon as possible and at the latest within one month after the request has been submitted, unless the volume and the complexity of the information justify an extension of this period up to two months after the request. The applicant shall be informed of any extension and of the reasons justifying it. 3. A request for environmental information may be refused if: (a) The public authority to which the request is addressed does not hold the environmental information requested; (b) The request is manifestly unreasonable or formulated in too general a manner; or c) The request concerns material in the course of completion or concerns internal communications of public authorities where such an exemption is provided for in national law or customary practice, taking into account the public interest served by disclosure. 4. A request for environmental information may be refused if the disclosure would adversely affect: (a) The confidentiality of the proceedings of public authorities, where such confidentiality is provided for under national law; (b) International relations, national defence or public security; (c) The course of justice, the ability of a person to receive a fair trial or the ability of a public authority to conduct an enquiry of a criminal or disciplinary nature; (d) The confidentiality of commercial and industrial information, where such confidentiality is protected by law in order to protect a legitimate economic interest. Within this framework, information on emissions which is relevant for the protection of the environment shall be disclosed; (e) Intellectual property rights; (f) The confidentiality of personal data and/or files relating to a natural person where that person has not consented to the disclosure of the information to the public, where such confidentiality is provided for in national law; (g) The interests of a third party which has supplied the information requested without that party being under or capable of being put under a legal obligation to do so, and where that party does not consent to the release of the material; or (h) The environment to which the information relates, such as the breeding sites of rare species. The aforementioned grounds for refusal shall be interpreted in a restrictive way, taking into account the public interest served by disclosure and taking into account whether the information requested relates to emissions into the environment. 5. Where a public authority does not hold the environmental information requested, this public authority shall, as promptly as possible, inform the applicant of the public authority to which it believes it is possible to apply for the information requested or transfer the request to that authority and inform the applicant accordingly. 6. Each Party shall ensure that, if information exempted from disclosure under paragraphs 3 (c) and 4 above can be separated out without prejudice to the confidentiality of the information exempted, public authorities make available the remainder of the environmental information that has been requested. 7. A refusal of a request shall be in writing if the request was in writing or the applicant so requests. A refusal shall state the reasons for the refusal and give information on access to the review procedure provided for in accordance with article 9. The refusal shall be made as soon as possible and at the latest within one month, unless the complexity of the information justifies an extension of this period up to two months after the request. The applicant shall be informed of any extension and of the reasons justifying it. 8. Each Party may allow its public authorities to make a charge for supplying information, but such charge shall not exceed a reasonable amount. Public authorities intending to make such a charge for supplying information shall make available to applicants a schedule of charges which may be levied, indicating the circumstances in which they may be levied or waived and when the supply of information is conditional on the advance payment of such a charge. 1. Each Party shall ensure that: (a) Public authorities possess and update environmental information which is relevant to their functions; (b) Mandatory systems are established so that there is an adequate flow of information to public authorities about proposed and existing activities which may significantly affect the environment; (c) In the event of any imminent threat to human health or the environment, whether caused by human activities or due to natural causes, all information which could enable the public to take measures to prevent or mitigate harm arising from the threat an d is held by a public authority is disseminated immediately and without delay to members of the public who may be affected. 2. Each Party shall ensure that, within the framework of national legislation, the way in which public authorities make environmental information available to the public is transparent and that environmental information is effectively accessible, inter alia, by: (a) Providing sufficient information to the public about the type and scope of environmental information held by the relevant public authorities, the basic terms and conditions under which such information is made available and accessible, and the process by which it can be obtained; (b) Establishing and maintaining practical arrangements, such as: (i) Publicly accessible lists, registers or files; (ii) Requiring officials to support the public in seeking access to information under this Convention; and (iii) The identification of points of contact; and (c) Providing access to the environmental information contained in lists, registers or files as referred to in subparagraph (b) (i) above free of charge. 3. Each Party shall ensure that environmental information progressively becomes available in electronic databases which are easily accessible to the public through public telecommunications networks. Information accessible in this form should include: (a) Reports on the state of the environment, as referred to in paragraph 4 below; (b) Texts of legislation on or relating to the environment; (c) As appropriate, policies, plans and programmes on or relating to the environment, and environmental agreements; and (d) Other information, to the extent that the availability of such information in this form would facilitate the application of national law implementing this Convention, provided that such information is already available in electronic form. 4. Each Party shall, at regular intervals not exceeding three or four years, publish and disseminate a national report on the state of the environment, including information on the quality of the environment and information on pressures on the environment. 5. Each Party shall take measures within the framework of its legislation for the purpose of disseminating, inter alia: (a) Legislation and policy documents such as documents on strategies, policies, programmes and action plans relating to the environment, and progress reports on their implementation, prepared at various levels of government; (b) International treaties, conventions and agreements on environmental issues; and (c) Other significant international documents on environmental issues, as appropriate. 6. Each Party shall encourage operators whose activities have a significant impact on the environment to inform the public regularly of the environmental impact of their activities and products, where appropriate within the framework of voluntary eco-labelling or eco-auditing schemes or by other means. 7. Each Party shall: (a) Publish the facts and analyses of facts which it considers relevant and important in framing major environmental policy proposals; (b) Publish, or otherwise make accessible, available explanatory material on its dealings with the public in matters falling within the scope of this Convention; and (c) Provide in an appropriate form information on the performance of public functions or the provision of public services relating to the environment by government at all levels. 8. Each Party shall develop mechanisms with a view to ensuring that sufficient product information is made available to the public in a manner which enables consumers to make informed environmental choices. 9. Each Party shall take steps to establish progressively, taking into account international processes where appropriate, a coherent, nationwide system of pollution inventories or registers on a structured, computerized and publicly accessible database compiled through standardized reporting. Such a system may include inputs, releases and transfers of a specified range of substances and products, including water, energy and resource use, from a specified range of activities to environmental media and to on-site and offsite treatment and disposal sites. 10. Nothing in this article may prejudice the right of Parties to refuse to disclose certain environmental information in accordance with article 4, paragraphs 3 and 4. 1. Each Party: (a) Shall apply the provisions of this article with respect to decisions on whether to permit proposed activities listed in annex I; (b) Shall, in accordance with its national law, also apply the provisions of this article to decisions on proposed activities not listed in annex I which may have a significant effect on the environment. To this end, Parties shall determine whether such a proposed activity is subject to these provisions; and (c) May decide, on a case-by-case basis if so provided under national law, not to apply the provisions of this article to proposed activities serving national defence purposes, if that Party deems that such application would have an adverse effect on these purposes. 2. The public concerned shall be informed, either by public notice or individually as appropriate, early in an environmental decision-making procedure, and in an adequate, timely and effective manner, inter alia, of: (a) The proposed activity and the application on which a decision will be taken; (b) The nature of possible decisions or the draft decision; (c) The public authority responsible for making the decision; (d) The envisaged procedure, including, as and when this information can be provided: (i) The commencement of the procedure; (ii) The opportunities for the public to participate; (iii) The time and venue of any envisaged public hearing; (iv) An indication of the public authority from which relevant information can be obtained and where the relevant information has been deposited for examination by the public; (v) An indication of the relevant public authority or any other official body to which comments or questions can be submitted and of the time schedule for transmittal of comments or questions; and (vi) An indication of what environmental information relevant to the proposed activity is available; and (e) The fact that the activity is subject to a national or transboundary environmental impact assessment procedure. 3. The public participation procedures shall include reasonable time-frames for the different phases, allowing sufficient time for informing the public in accordance with paragraph 2 above and for the public to prepare and participate effectively during the environmental decision-making. 4. Each Party shall provide for early public participation, when all options are open and effective public participation can take place. 5. Each Party should, where appropriate, encourage prospective applicants to identify the public concerned, to enter into discussions, and to provide information regarding the objectives of their application before applying for a permit. 6. Each Party shall require the competent public authorities to give the public concerned access for examination, upon request where so required under national law, free of charge and as soon as it becomes available, to all information relevant to the decision-making referred to in this article that is available at the time of the public participation procedure, without prejudice to the right of Parties to refuse to disclose certain information in accordance with article 4, paragraphs 3 and 4. The relevant information shall include at least, and without prejudice to the provisions of article 4: (a) A description of the site and the physical and technical characteristics of the proposed activity, including an estimate of the expected residues and emissions; (b) A description of the significant effects of the proposed activity on the environment; (c) A description of the measures envisaged to prevent and/or reduce the effects, including emissions; (d) A non-technical summary of the above; (e) An outline of the main alternatives studied by the applicant; and (f) In accordance with national legislation, the main reports and advice issued to the public authority at the time when the public concerned shall be informed in accordance with paragraph 2 above. 7. Procedures for public participation shall allow the public to submit, in writing or, as appropriate, at a public hearing or inquiry with the applicant, any comments, information, analyses or opinions that it considers relevant to the proposed activity. 8. Each Party shall ensure that in the decision due account is taken of the outcome of the public participation. 9. Each Party shall ensure that, when the decision has been taken by the public authority, the public is promptly informed of the decision in accordance with the appropriate procedures. Each Party shall make accessible to the public the text of the decision along with the reasons and considerations on which the decision is based. 10. Each Party shall ensure that, when a public authority reconsiders or updates the operating conditions for an activity referred to in paragraph 1, the provisions of paragraphs 2 to 9 of this article are applied mutatis mutandis, and where appropriate. 11. Each Party shall, within the framework of its national law, apply, to the extent feasible and appropriate, provisions of this article to decisions on whether to permit the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into the environment. Each Party shall make appropriate practical and/or other provisions for the public to participate during the preparation of plans and programmes relating to the environment, within a transparent and fair framework, having provided the necessary information to the public. Within this framework, article 6, paragraphs 3, 4 and 8, shall be applied. The public which may participate shall be identified by the relevant public authority, taking into account the objectives of this Convention. To the extent appropriate, each Party shall endeavour to provide opportunities for public participation in the preparation of policies relating to the environment. Each Party shall strive to promote effective public participation at an appropriate stage, and while options are still open, during the preparation by public authorities of executive regulations and other generally applicable legally binding rules that may have a significant effect on the environment. To this end, the following steps should be taken: (a) Time-frames sufficient for effective participation should be fixed; (b) Draft rules should be published or otherwise made publicly available; and (c) The public should be given the opportunity to comment, directly or through representative consultative bodies. The result of the public participation shall be taken into account as far as possible. 1. Each Party shall, within the framework of its national legislation, ensure that any person who considers that his or her request for information under article 4 has been ignored, wrongfully refused, whether in part or in full, inadequately answered, or otherwise not dealt with in accordance with the provisions of that article, has access to a review procedure before a court of law or another independent and impartial body established by law. In the circumstances where a Party provides for such a review by a court of law, it shall ensure that such a person also has access to an expeditious procedure established by law that is free of charge or inexpensive for reconsideration by a public authority or review by an independent and impartial body other than a court of law. Final decisions under this paragraph 1 shall be binding on the public authority holding the information. Reasons shall be stated in writing, at least where access to information is refused under this paragraph. 2. Each Party shall, within the framework of its national legislation, ensure that members of the public concerned (a) Having a sufficient interest or, alternatively, (b) Maintaining impairment of a right, where the administrative procedural law of a Party requires this as a precondition, have access to a review procedure before a court of law and/or another independent and impartial body established by law, to challenge the substantive and procedural legality of any decision, act or omission subject to the provisions of article 6 and, where so provided for under national law and without prejudice to paragraph 3 below, of other relevant provisions of this Convention. What constitutes a sufficient interest and impairment of a right shall be determined in accordance with the requirements of national law and consistently with the objective of giving the public concerned wide access to justice within the scope of this Convention. To this end, the interest of any non-governmental organization meeting the requirements referred to in article 2, paragraph 5, shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of subparagraph (a) above. Such organizations shall also be deemed to have rights capable of being impaired for the purpose of subparagraph (b) above. The provisions of this paragraph 2 shall not exclude the possibility of a preliminary review procedure before an administrative authority and shall not affect the requirement of exhaustion of administrative review procedures prior to recourse to judicial review procedures, where such a requirement exists under national law. 3. In addition and without prejudice to the review procedures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, each Party shall ensure that, where they meet the criteria, if any, laid down in its national law, members of the public have access to administrative or judicial procedures to challenge acts and omissions by private persons and public authorities which contravene provisions of its national law relating to the environment. 4. In addition and without prejudice to paragraph 1 above, the procedures referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 above shall provide adequate and effective remedies, including injunctive relief as appropriate, and be fair, equitable, timely and not prohibitively expensive. Decisions under this article shall be given or recorded in writing. Decisions of courts, and whenever possible of other bodies, shall be publicly accessible. 5. In order to further the effectiveness of the provisions of this article, each Party shall ensure that information is provided to the public on access to administrative and judicial review procedures and shall consider the establishment of appropriate assistance mechanisms to remove or reduce financial and other barriers to access to justice. 1. The first meeting of the Parties shall be convened no later than one year after the date of the entry into force of this Convention. Thereafter, an ordinary meeting of the Parties shall be held at least once every two years, unless otherwise decided by the Parties, or at the written request of any Party, provided that, within six months of the request being communicated to all Parties by the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe, the said request is supported by at least one third of the Parties. 2. At their meetings, the Parties shall keep under continuous review the implementation of this Convention on the basis of regular reporting by the Parties, and, with this purpose in mind, shall: (a) Review the policies for and legal and methodological approaches to access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, with a view to further improving them; (b) Exchange information regarding experience gained in concluding and implementing bilateral and multilateral agreements or other arrangements having relevance to the purposes of this Convention and to which one or more of the Parties are a party; (c) Seek, where appropriate, the services of relevant ECE bodies and other competent international bodies and specific committees in all aspects pertinent to the achievement of the purposes of this Convention; (d) Establish any subsidiary bodies as they deem necessary; (e) Prepare, where appropriate, protocols to this Convention; (f) Consider and adopt proposals for amendments to this Convention in accordance with the provisions of article 14; (g) Consider and undertake any additional action that may be required for the achievement of the purposes of this Convention; (h) At their first meeting, consider and by consensus adopt rules of procedure for their meetings and the meetings of subsidiary bodies; (i) At their first meeting, review their experience in implementing the provisions of article 5, paragraph 9, and consider what steps are necessary to develop further the system referred to in that paragraph, taking into account international processes and developments, including the elaboration of an appropriate instrument concerning pollution release and transfer registers or inventories which could be annexed to this Convention. 3. The Meeting of the Parties may, as necessary, consider establishing financial arrangements on a consensus basis. 4. The United Nations, its specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as any State or regional economic integration organization entitled under article 17 to sign this Convention but which is not a Party to this Convention, and any intergovernmental organization qualified in the fields to which this Convention relates, shall be entitled to participate as observers in the meetings of the Parties. 5. Any non-governmental organization, qualified in the fields to which this Convention relates, which has informed the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe of its wish to be represented at a meeting of the Parties shall be entitled to participate as an observer unless at least one third of the Parties present in the meeting raise objections. 6. For the purposes of paragraphs 4 and 5 above, the rules of procedure referred to in paragraph 2 (h) above shall provide for practical arrangements for the admittance procedure and other relevant terms. 1. Except as provided for in paragraph 2 below, each Party to this Convention shall have one vote. 2. Regional economic integration organizations, in matters within their competence, shall exercise their right to vote with a number of votes equal to the number of their member States which are Parties to this Convention. Such organizations shall not exercise their right to vote if their member States exercise theirs, and vice versa. The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe shall carry out the following secretariat functions: (a) The convening and preparing of meetings of the Parties; (b) The transmission to the Parties of reports and other information received in accordance with the provisions of this Convention; and (c) Such other functions as may be determined by the Parties. The annexes to this Convention shall constitute an integral part thereof. 1. Any Party may propose amendments to this Convention. 2. The text of any proposed amendment to this Convention shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe, who shall communicate it to all Parties at least ninety days before the meeting of the Parties at which it is proposed for adoption. 3. The Parties shall make every effort to reach agreement on any proposed amendment to this Convention by consensus. If all efforts at consensus have been exhausted, and no agreement reached, the amendment shall as a last resort be adopted by a three-fourths majority vote of the Parties present and voting at the meeting. 4. Amendments to this Convention adopted in accordance with paragraph 3 above shall be communicated by the Depositary to all Parties for ratification, approval or acceptance. Amendments to this Convention other than those to an annex shall enter into force for Parties having ratified, approved or accepted them on the ninetieth day after the receipt by the Depositary of notification of their ratification, approval or acceptance by at least three fourths of these Parties. Thereafter they shall enter into force for any other Party on the ninetieth day after that Party deposits its instrument of ratification, approval or acceptance of the amendments. 5. Any Party that is unable to approve an amendment to an annex to this Convention shall so notify the Depositary in writing within twelve months from the date of the communication of the adoption. The Depositary shall without delay notify all Parties of any such notification received. A Party may at any time substitute an acceptance for its previous notification and, upon deposit of an instrument of acceptance with the Depositary, the amendments to such an annex shall become effective for that Party. 6. On the expiry of twelve months from the date of its communication by the Depositary as provided for in paragraph 4 above an amendment to an annex shall become effective for those Parties which have not submitted a notification to the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5 above, provided that not more than one third of the Parties have submitted such a notification. 7. For the purposes of this article, "Parties present and voting" means Parties present and casting an affirmative or negative vote. The Meeting of the Parties shall establish, on a consensus basis, optional arrangements of a non-confrontational, non-judicial and consultative nature for reviewing compliance with the provisions of this Convention. These arrangements shall allow for appropriate public involvement and may include the option of considering communications from members of the public on matters related to this Convention. 1. If a dispute arises between two or more Parties about the interpretation or application of this Convention, they shall seek a solution by negotiation or by any other means of dispute settlement acceptable to the parties to the dispute. 2. When signing, ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to this Convention, or at any time thereafter, a Party may declare in writing to the Depositary that, for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 above, it accepts one or both of the following means of dispute settlement as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting the same obligation: (a) Submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice; (b) Arbitration in accordance with the procedure set out in annex II. 3. If the parties to the dispute have accepted both means of dispute settlement referred to in paragraph 2 above, the dispute may be submitted only to the International Court of Justice, unless the parties agree otherwise. This Convention shall be open for signature at Aarhus (Denmark) on 25 June 1998, and thereafter at United Nations Headquarters in New York until 21 December 1998, by States members of the Economic Commission for Europe as well as States having consultative status with the Economic Commission for Europe pursuant to paragraphs 8 and 11 of Economic and Social Council resolution 36 (IV) of 28 March 1947, and by regional economic integration organizations constituted by sovereign States members of the Economic Commission for Europe to which their member States have transferred competence over matters governed by this Convention, including the competence to enter into treaties in respect of these matters. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall act as the Depositary of this Convention. 1. This Convention shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by signatory States and regional economic integration organizations. 2. This Convention shall be open for accession as from 22 December 1998 by the States and regional economic integration organizations referred to in article 17. 3. Any other State, not referred to in paragraph 2 above, that is a Member of the United Nations may accede to the Convention upon approval by the Meeting of the Parties. 4. Any organization referred to in article 17 which becomes a Party to this Convention without any of its member States being a Party shall be bound by all the obligations under this Convention. If one or more of such an organization’s member States is a Party to this Convention, the organization and its member States shall decide on their respective responsibilities for the performance of their obligations under this Convention. In such cases, the organization and the member States shall not be entitled to exercise rights under this Convention concurrently. 5. In their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the regional economic integration organizations referred to in article 17 shall declare the extent of their competence with respect to the matters governed by this Convention. These organizations shall also inform the Depositary of any substantial modification to the extent of their competence. 1. This Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the sixteenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. 2. For the purposes of paragraph 1 above, any instrument deposited by a regional economic integration organization shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by States members of such an organization. 3. For each State or organization referred to in article 17 which ratifies, accepts or approves this Convention or accedes thereto after the deposit of the sixteenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit by such State or organization of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. At any time after three years from the date on which this Convention has come into force with respect to a Party, that Party may withdraw from the Convention by giving written notification to the Depositary. Any such withdrawal shall take effect on the ninetieth day after the date of its receipt by the Depositary. The original of this Convention, of which the English, French and Russian texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto, have signed this Convention. DONE at Aarhus (Denmark), this twenty-fifth day of June, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight. text="Annex I LIST OF ACTIVITIES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 6, PARAGRAPH 1 (a) 1. Energy sector: – Mineral oil and gas refineries; – Installations for gasification and liquefaction; – Thermal power stations and other combustion installations with a heat input of 50 megawatts (MW) or more; – Coke ovens; – Nuclear power stations and other nuclear reactors including the dismantling or decommissioning of such power stations or reactors 1/ (except research installations for the production and conversion of fissionable and fertile materials whose maximum power does not exceed 1 kW continuous thermal load); – Installations for the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel; – Installations designed: – For the production or enrichment of nuclear fuel; – For the processing of irradiated nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste; – For the final disposal of irradiated nuclear fuel; – Solely for the final disposal of radioactive waste; – Solely for the storage (planned for more than 10 years) of irradiated nuclear fuels or radioactive waste in a different site than the production site. 2. Production and processing of metals: – Metal ore (including sulphide ore) roasting or sintering installations; – Installations for the production of pig-iron or steel (primary or secondary fusion) including continuous casting, with a capacity exceeding 2.5 tons per hour; – Installations for the processing of ferrous metals: (i) Hot-rolling mills with a capacity exceeding 20 tons of crude steel per hour; (ii) Smitheries with hammers the energy of which exceeds 50 kilojoules per hammer, where the calorific power used exceeds 20 MW; (iii) Application of protective fused metal coats with an input exceeding 2 tons of crude steel per hour; – Ferrous metal foundries with a production capacity exceeding 20 tons per day; – Installations: (i) For the production of non-ferrous crude metals from ore, concentrates or secondary raw materials by metallurgical, chemical or electrolytic processes; (ii) For the smelting, including the alloying, of non-ferrous metals, including recovered products (refining, foundry casting, etc.), with a melting capacity exceeding 4 tons per day for lead and cadmium or 20 tons per day for all other metals; – Installations for surface treatment of metals and plastic materials using an electrolytic or chemical process where the volume of the treatment vats exceeds 30 m3. 3. Mineral industry: – Installations for the production of cement clinker in rotary kilns with a production capacity exceeding 500 tons per day or lime in rotary kilns with a production capacity exceeding 50 tons per day or in other furnaces with a production capacity exceeding 50 tons per day; – Installations for the production of asbestos and the manufacture of asbestos-based products; – Installations for the manufacture of glass including glass fibre with a melting capacity exceeding 20 tons per day; – Installations for melting mineral substances including the production of mineral fibres with a melting capacity exceeding 20 tons per day; – Installations for the manufacture of ceramic products by firing, in particular roofing tiles, bricks, refractory bricks, tiles, stoneware or porcelain, with a production capacity exceeding 75 tons per day, and/or with a kiln capacity exceeding 4 m3 and with a setting density per kiln exceeding 300 kg/m3. 4. Chemical industry: Production within the meaning of the categories of activities contained in this paragraph means the production on an industrial scale by chemical processing of substances or groups of substances listed in subparagraphs (a) to (g): (a) Chemical installations for the production of basic organic chemicals, such as: (i) Simple hydrocarbons (linear or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic); (ii) Oxygen-containing hydrocarbons such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, acetates, ethers, peroxides, epoxy resins; (iii) Sulphurous hydrocarbons; (iv) Nitrogenous hydrocarbons such as amines, amides, nitrous compounds, nitro compounds or nitrate compounds, nitriles, cyanates, isocyanates; (v) Phosphorus-containing hydrocarbons; (vi) Halogenic hydrocarbons; (vii) Organometallic compounds; (viii) Basic plastic materials (polymers, synthetic fibres and cellulose- based fibres); (ix) Synthetic rubbers; (x) Dyes and pigments; (xi) Surface-active agents and surfactants; (b) Chemical installations for the production of basic inorganic chemicals, such as: (i) Gases, such as ammonia, chlorine or hydrogen chloride, fluorine or hydrogen fluoride, carbon oxides, sulphur compounds, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, sulphur dioxide, carbonyl chloride; (ii) Acids, such as chromic acid, hydrofluoric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, oleum, sulphurous acids; (iii) Bases, such as ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide; (iv) Salts, such as ammonium chloride, potassium chlorate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, perborate, silver nitrate; (v) Non-metals, metal oxides or other inorganic compounds such as calcium carbide, silicon, silicon carbide; (c) Chemical installations for the production of phosphorous-, nitrogen- or potassium-based fertilizers (simple or compound fertilizers); (d) Chemical installations for the production of basic plant health products and of biocides; (e) Installations using a chemical or biological process for the production of basic pharmaceutical products; (f) Chemical installations for the production of explosives; (g) Chemical installations in which chemical or biological processing is used for the production of protein feed additives, ferments and other protein substances. 5. Waste management: – Installations for the incineration, recovery, chemical treatment or landfill of hazardous waste; – Installations for the incineration of municipal waste with a capacity exceeding 3 tons per hour; – Installations for the disposal of non-hazardous waste with a capacity exceeding 50 tons per day; – Landfills receiving more than 10 tons per day or with a total capacity exceeding 25 000 tons, excluding landfills of inert waste. 6. Waste-water treatment plants with a capacity exceeding 150 000 population equivalent. 7. Industrial plants for the: (a) Production of pulp from timber or similar fibrous materials; (b) Production of paper and board with a production capacity exceeding 20 tons per day. 8. (a) Construction of lines for long-distance railway traffic and of airports 2/ with a basic runway length of 2 100 m or more; (b) Construction of motorways and express roads; 3/ (c) Construction of a new road of four or more lanes, or realignment and/or widening of an existing road of two lanes or less so as to provide four or more lanes, where such new road, or realigned and/or widened section of road, would be 10 km or more in a continuous length. 9. (a) Inland waterways and ports for inland-waterway traffic which permit the passage of vessels of over 1 350 tons; (b) Trading ports, piers for loading and unloading connected to land and outside ports (excluding ferry piers) which can take vessels of over 1 350 tons. 10. Groundwater abstraction or artificial groundwater recharge schemes where the annual volume of water abstracted or recharged is equivalent to or exceeds 10 million cubic metres. 11. (a) Works for the transfer of water resources between river basins where this transfer aims at preventing possible shortages of water and where the amount of water transferred exceeds 100 million cubic metres/year; (b) In all other cases, works for the transfer of water resources between river basins where the multiannual average flow of the basin of abstraction exceeds 2 000 million cubic metres/year and where the amount of water transferred exceeds 5 per cent of this flow. In both cases transfers of piped drinking water are excluded. 12. Extraction of petroleum and natural gas for commercial purposes where the amount extracted exceeds 500 tons/day in the case of petroleum and 500 000 cubic metres/day in the case of gas. 13. Dams and other installations designed for the holding back or permanent storage of water, where a new or additional amount of water held back or stored exceeds 10 million cubic metres. 14. Pipelines for the transport of gas, oil or chemicals with a diameter of more than 800 mm and a length of more than 40 km. 15. Installations for the intensive rearing of poultry or pigs with more than: (a) 40 000 places for poultry; (b) 2 000 places for production pigs (over 30 kg); or (c) 750 places for sows. 16. Quarries and opencast mining where the surface of the site exceeds 25 hectares, or peat extraction, where the surface of the site exceeds 150 hectares. 17. Construction of overhead electrical power lines with a voltage of 220 kV or more and a length of more than 15 km. 18. Installations for the storage of petroleum, petrochemical, or chemical products with a capacity of 200 000 tons or more. 19. Other activities: – Plants for the pretreatment (operations such as washing, bleaching, mercerization) or dyeing of fibres or textiles where the treatment capacity exceeds 10 tons per day; – Plants for the tanning of hides and skins where the treatment capacity exceeds 12 tons of finished products per day; – (a) Slaughterhouses with a carcass production capacity greater than 50 tons per day; (b) Treatment and processing intended for the production of food products from: (i) Animal raw materials (other than milk) with a finished product production capacity greater than 75 tons per day; (ii) Vegetable raw materials with a finished product production capacity greater than 300 tons per day (average value on a quarterly basis); (c) Treatment and processing of milk, the quantity of milk received being greater than 200 tons per day (average value on an annual basis); – Installations for the disposal or recycling of animal carcasses and animal waste with a treatment capacity exceeding 10 tons per day; – Installations for the surface treatment of substances, objects or products using organic solvents, in particular for dressing, printing, coating, degreasing, waterproofing, sizing, painting, cleaning or impregnating, with a consumption capacity of more than 150 kg per hour or more than 200 tons per year; – Installations for the production of carbon (hard-burnt coal) or electrographite by means of incineration or graphitization. 20. Any activity not covered by paragraphs 1-19 above where public participation is provided for under an environmental impact assessment procedure in accordance with national legislation. 21. The provision of article 6, paragraph 1 (a) of this Convention, does not apply to any of the above projects undertaken exclusively or mainly for research, development and testing of new methods or products for less than two years unless they would be likely to cause a significant adverse effect on environment or health. 22. Any change to or extension of activities, where such a change or extension in itself meets the criteria/thresholds set out in this annex, shall be subject to article 6, paragraph 1 (a) of this Convention. Any other change or extension of activities shall be subject to article 6, paragraph 1 (b) of this Convention. Notes 1/ Nuclear power stations and other nuclear reactors cease to be such an installation when all nuclear fuel and other radioactively contaminated elements have been removed permanently from the installation site. 2/ For the purposes of this Convention, "airport" means an airport which complies with the definition in the 1944 Chicago Convention setting up the International Civil Aviation Organization (Annex 14). 3/ For the purposes of this Convention, "express road" means a road which complies with the definition in the European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries of 15 November 1975." text="Annex II ARBITRATION 1. In the event of a dispute being submitted for arbitration pursuant to article 16, paragraph 2, of this Convention, a party or parties shall notify the secretariat of the subject matter of arbitration and indicate, in particular, the articles of this Convention whose interpretation or application is at issue. The secretariat shall forward the information received to all Parties to this Convention. 2. The arbitral tribunal shall consist of three members. Both the claimant party or parties and the other party or parties to the dispute shall appoint an arbitrator, and the two arbitrators so appointed shall designate by common agreement the third arbitrator, who shall be the president of the arbitral tribunal. The latter shall not be a national of one of the parties to the dispute, nor have his or her usual place of residence in the territory of one of these parties, nor be employed by any of them, nor have dealt with the casein any other capacity. 3. If the president of the arbitral tribunal has not been designated within two months of the appointment of the second arbitrator, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe shall, at the request of either party to the dispute, designate the president within a further two-month period. 4. If one of the parties to the dispute does not appoint an arbitrator within two months of the receipt of the request, the other party may so inform the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe, who shall designate the president of the arbitral tribunal within a further two-month period. Upon designation, the president of the arbitral tribunal shall request the party which has not appointed an arbitrator to do so within two months. If it fails to do so within that period, the president shall so inform the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe, who shall make this appointment within a further two-month period. 5. The arbitral tribunal shall render its decision in accordance with international law and the provisions of this Convention. 6. Any arbitral tribunal constituted under the provisions set out in this annex shall draw up its own rules of procedure. 7. The decisions of the arbitral tribunal, both on procedure and on substance, shall be taken by majority vote of its members. 8. The tribunal may take all appropriate measures to establish the facts. 9. The parties to the dispute shall facilitate the work of the arbitral tribunal and, in particular, using all means at their disposal, shall: (a) Provide it with all relevant documents, facilities and information; (b) Enable it, where necessary, to call witnesses or experts and receive their evidence. 10. The parties and the arbitrators shall protect the confidentiality of any information that they receive in confidence during the proceedings of the arbitral tribunal. 11. The arbitral tribunal may, at the request of one of the parties, recommend interim measures of protection. 12. If one of the parties to the dispute does not appear before the arbitral tribunal or fails to defend its case, the other party may request the tribunal to continue the proceedings and to render its final decision. Absence of a party or failure of a party to defend its case shall not constitute a bar to the proceedings. 13. The arbitral tribunal may hear and determine counter-claims arising directly out of the subject matter of the dispute. 14. Unless the arbitral tribunal determines otherwise because of the particular circumstances of the case, the expenses of the tribunal, including the remuneration of its members, shall be borne by the parties to the dispute in equal shares. The tribunal shall keep a record of all its expenses, and shall furnish a final statement thereof to the parties. 15. Any Party to this Convention which has an interest of a legal nature in the subject matter of the dispute, and which may be affected by a decision in the case, may intervene in the proceedings with the consent of the tribunal. 16. The arbitral tribunal shall render its award within five months of the date on which it is established, unless it finds it necessary to extend the time limit for a period which should not exceed five months. 17. The award of the arbitral tribunal shall be accompanied by a statement of reasons. It shall be final and binding upon all parties to the dispute. The award will be transmitted by the arbitral tribunal to the parties to the dispute and to the secretariat. The secretariat will forward the information received to all Parties to this Convention. 18. Any dispute which may arise between the parties concerning the interpretation or execution of the award may be submitted by either party to the arbitral tribunal which made the award or, if the latter cannot be seized thereof, to another tribunal constituted for this purpose in the same manner as the first." Pogodbenice te konvencije se sklicujejo na 1. načelo Stockholmske deklaracije o človekovem okolju, se sklicujejo tudi na 10. načelo Deklaracije o okolju in razvoju iz Ria, se nadalje sklicujejo na resoluciji Generalne skupščine št. 37/7 o Svetovni listini za naravo z dne 28. oktobra 1982 in št. 45/94 o potrebi zagotoviti zdravo okolje za blaginjo ljudi z dne 14. decembra 1990, se sklicujejo na Evropsko listino o okolju in zdravju, sprejeto 8. decembra 1989 na prvi evropski konferenci Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije o okolju in zdravju v Frankfurtu ob Majni, Nemčija, potrjujejo, da je treba varovati, ohranjati in izboljševati stanje okolja in zagotoviti trajnostni in okolju primeren razvoj, priznavajo, da je primerno varstvo okolja bistveno za blaginjo ljudi in za uresničevanje temeljnih človekovih pravic skupaj s samo pravico do življenja, priznavajo tudi, da ima vsaka oseba pravico živeti v okolju, primernem za njeno zdravje in blaginjo, in dolžnost, da sama in skupaj z drugimi varuje in izboljšuje okolje za sedanje in prihodnje generacije, upoštevajo, da morajo imeti državljani, da bi lahko uveljavljali to pravico in izpolnjevali to dolžnost, dostop do informacij, pravico do udeležbe pri odločanju in dostop do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah, ter se v zvezi s tem zavedajo, da državljani za uresničevanje svojih pravic morda potrebujejo pomoč, priznavajo, da boljši dostop do informacij in udeležba javnosti pri odločanju na področju okolja povečujeta kakovost in izvajanje odločitev, prispevata k ozaveščanju javnosti o okoljskih vprašanjih, dajeta javnosti možnost, da izraža svoje interese, in omogočata organom javne oblasti, da jih ustrezno upoštevajo, imajo s tem namen povečati odgovornost in preglednost odločanja in okrepiti podporo javnosti pri okoljskem odločanju, priznavajo, da je preglednost zaželena v vseh vejah oblasti, in pozivajo zakonodajna telesa, da pri svojih postopkih uresničujejo načela te konvencije, priznavajo tudi, da mora biti javnost seznanjena s postopki za udeležbo pri okoljskem odločanju, imeti do njih prost dostop ter vedeti, kako jih uporabljati, priznavajo nadalje pomen vloge, ki jo imajo lahko posamezniki, nevladne organizacije in zasebni sektor pri varstvu okolja, želijo spodbujati okoljsko izobraževanje za boljše razumevanje okolja in trajnostnega razvoja ter splošno ozaveščanje javnosti in njeno udeležbo pri odločitvah, ki vplivajo na okolje in trajnostni razvoj, ugotavljajo v zvezi s tem pomen uporabe medijev in elektronskih ali drugih prihodnjih oblik komuniciranja, priznavajo, da je pomembno v odločanje državnih organov v celoti vključevati okoljske vsebine in morajo zato organi javne oblasti imeti natančne, vsestranske in najnovejše okoljske informacije, priznavajo, da imajo organi javne oblasti okoljske informacije v interesu javnosti, se zavzemajo, da bi bili javnosti, vključno z organizacijami, dostopni učinkoviti pravosodni mehanizmi za varstvo njihovih legitimnih interesov in za izvajanje zakonov, ugotavljajo, da je pomembno potrošnikom zagotoviti ustrezne informacije o izdelkih, da bi se tako obveščeni pri izbiri lahko odločali glede na njihove posledice za okolje, priznavajo zaskrbljenost javnosti zaradi namernega sproščanja gensko spremenjenih organizmov v okolje in potrebo po večji preglednosti in večji udeležbi javnosti pri odločanju na tem področju, so prepričane, da bo izvajanje te konvencije prispevalo h krepitvi demokracije na območju, ki ga pokriva Gospodarska komisija Združenih narodov za Evropo (ECE), se zavedajo vloge, ki jo ima pri tem ECE, in se med drugim sklicujejo na Smernice ECE o dostopu do okoljskih informacij in o udeležbi javnosti pri okoljskem odločanju, potrjene v ministrski deklaraciji, ki je bila sprejeta 25. oktobra 1995 na tretji ministrski konferenci »Okolje za Evropo« v Sofiji, Bolgarija, upoštevajo ustrezne določbe Konvencije o presoji čezmejnih vplivov na okolje, sprejete 25. februarja 1991 v kraju Espoo na Finskem, 1991, in Konvencije o čezmejnih vplivih industrijskih nesreč in Konvencije o varstvu in uporabi čezmejnih vodotokov in mednarodnih jezer, sprejetih 17. marca 1992 v Helsinkih, ter drugih regionalnih konvencij, se zavedajo, da bo sprejetje te konvencije prispevalo k nadaljnji krepitvi procesa »Okolje za Evropo« in k dosežkom četrte ministrske konference, ki je bila junija 1998 v Aarhusu, Danska, zato so se dogovorile:

Da bi prispevali k varstvu pravice vsake osebe sedanjih in prihodnjih generacij, da živi v okolju, primernem za njeno zdravje in blaginjo, vsaka pogodbenica v skladu z določbami te konvencije zagotavlja pravico do dostopa do informacij, do udeležbe javnosti pri odločanju in do dostopa do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah.

V tej konvenciji: 1. »pogodbenica« pomeni pogodbenico te konvencije, če ni v besedilu drugače določeno; 2. »organ javne oblasti« pomeni: a) vlado na državni, regionalni in drugi ravni; b) fizične ali pravne osebe, ki opravljajo javnoupravne naloge po notranji zakonodaji, vključno s posebnimi nalogami, dejavnostmi ali storitvami v zvezi z okoljem; c) vse druge fizične ali pravne osebe, ki imajo javna pooblastila ali naloge ali opravljajo javne storitve v zvezi z okoljem pod nadzorom organa ali osebe iz pododstavka a) ali b); d) institucije katere koli organizacije za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje iz 17. člena, ki je pogodbenica te konvencije. Ta izraz pa ne vključuje organov ali institucij, kadar delujejo v sodni ali zakonodajni pristojnosti; 3. »okoljske informacije« pomenijo vse pisne, vizualne, zvočne in elektronske informacije ali informacije v kakšni koli drugi materialni obliki: a) o stanju elementov okolja, kot so zrak in ozračje, voda, prst, zemljišča, krajina in naravna območja, biološka raznovrstnost in njene sestavine, vključno z gensko spremenjenimi organizmi, in o medsebojnem vplivu teh elementov; b) o dejavnikih, kot so snovi, energija, hrup in sevanje, ter o dejavnostih ali ukrepih skupaj z upravnimi ukrepi, okoljskimi sporazumi, politikami, zakonodajo, načrti in programi, ki vplivajo ali bi lahko vplivali na elemente okolja iz pododstavka a), o analizah stroškov in koristi ter o drugih ekonomskih analizah in predpostavkah, ki se uporabljajo pri okoljskem odločanju; c) o zdravstvenem stanju in varnosti ljudi, življenjskih razmerah ljudi, stanju kulturnih znamenitosti in objektov, če nanje vpliva ali bi lahko vplivalo stanje elementov okolja ali s temi elementi povezani dejavniki, dejavnosti ali ukrepi iz pododstavka b); 4. »javnost« pomeni eno ali več fizičnih ali pravnih oseb in v skladu z notranjo zakonodajo ali prakso posameznih držav njihova združenja, organizacije ali skupine; 5. »vključena javnost« pomeni javnost, ki jo okoljsko odločanje prizadene ali bi jo lahko prizadelo ali ki ima interes pri okoljskem odločanju; šteje se, da imajo interes nevladne organizacije, ki spodbujajo varstvo okolja in izpolnjujejo vse zahteve, ki jih določa notranja zakonodaja.

1. Pogodbenica sprejme potrebne zakonodajne, ureditvene in druge ukrepe, vključno z ukrepi za uskladitev določb za izvajanje določb te konvencije o informacijah, udeležbi javnosti in dostopu do pravnega varstva, kakor tudi ustrezne ukrepe za njihovo izvrševanje, da vzpostavi in ohrani jasen, pregleden in dosleden okvir za izvajanje določb te konvencije. 2. Pogodbenica si prizadeva zagotoviti, da uradniki in organi usmerjajo javnost in ji pomagajo pri iskanju dostopa do informacij, lažji udeležbi pri odločanju in iskanju dostopa do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah. 3. Pogodbenica spodbuja izobraževanje ter ozaveščanje javnosti o okolju, zlasti glede možnosti dostopa do informacij, udeležbe pri odločanju in dostopa do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah. 4. Pogodbenica zagotovi ustrezno priznanje in podporo združenjem, organizacijam ali skupinam, ki spodbujajo varstvo okolja, in zagotovi tudi, da je njen notranji pravni sistem skladen s to obvezo. 5. Določbe te konvencije ne vplivajo na pravico pogodbenice, da ohrani ali uvede ukrepe, ki zagotavljajo širši dostop do informacij, večjo udeležbo javnosti pri odločanju in širši dostop do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah, kot to zahteva konvencija. 6. Ta konvencija ne zahteva zmanjšanja obstoječih pravic do dostopa do informacij, udeležbe javnosti pri odločanju in dostopa do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah. 7. Pogodbenica spodbuja uporabo načel te konvencije v postopkih mednarodnega okoljskega odločanja in v mednarodnih organizacijah pri zadevah, povezanih z okoljem. 8. Pogodbenica zagotavlja, da tisti, ki uresničujejo svoje pravice v skladu z določbami te konvencije, zaradi tega ne smejo biti na noben način kaznovani, sodno preganjani ali nadlegovani. Ta določba ne vpliva na pristojnost državnih sodišč, da v sodnih postopkih dosodijo razumne stroške. 9. V skladu z ustreznimi določbami te konvencije ima javnost dostop do informacij, možnost udeležbe pri odločanju in dostop do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah brez razlikovanja glede na državljanstvo, narodnost ali stalno prebivališče, pri pravni osebi pa brez razlikovanja glede na sedež ali dejanski kraj poslovanja.

1. Če so zahtevane okoljske informacije, pogodbenica v skladu z odstavki tega člena zagotovi, da jih organi javne oblasti v okviru notranje zakonodaje dajo na razpolago javnosti, na zahtevo in pod pogoji iz pododstavka b) pa tudi kopije dejanske dokumentacije, ki take informacije vsebuje ali obsega: a) ne da bi bilo treba navesti interes; b) v zahtevani obliki, razen če: i) ima organ javne oblasti utemeljen razlog, da jih da v drugačni obliki, pri čemer mora navesti razloge, zakaj jih daje v taki obliki, ali ii) je informacija že javno na razpolago v drugačni obliki. 2. Okoljske informacije iz prvega odstavka se dajo na razpolago čim prej in najpozneje v enem mesecu od vložitve zahtevka, razen če obseg in celovitost informacij opravičujeta podaljšanje tega roka do dveh mesecev od vložitve zahtevka. Vložnika je treba obvestiti o vsakem podaljšanju in o razlogih zanj. 3. Zahtevek za okoljske informacije se lahko zavrne: a) če organ javne oblasti, na katerega je naslovljen, nima zahtevanih okoljskih informacij; b) če je zahtevek očitno nerazumen ali presplošno izražen ali c) če se nanaša na gradivo, ki se še dopolnjuje, ali na notranje komuniciranje med organi javne oblasti, če tako izjemo predvideva notranja zakonodaja ali običajna praksa, pri čemer je treba upoštevati javni interes za razkritje. 4. Zahtevek za okoljske informacije se lahko zavrne, če bi razkritje škodljivo vplivalo: a) na zaupnost postopkov organov javne oblasti, če tako zaupnost predvideva notranja zakonodaja; b) na mednarodne odnose, obrambo države ali javno varnost; c) na potek pravnega postopka, možnost osebe, da se ji pravično sodi, ali možnost organa javne oblasti, da izvede kazensko ali disciplinsko preiskavo; d) na zaupnost poslovnih in industrijskih informacij, če tako zaupnost varuje zakon zaradi zaščite legitimnih gospodarskih interesov. V tem okviru pa je treba razkriti informacije o emisijah, pomembne za varstvo okolja; e) na pravice intelektualne lastnine; f) na zaupnost osebnih podatkov in/ali zbirke podatkov, ki se nanašajo na fizično osebo, če ta oseba ne da soglasja za razkritje informacij javnosti in če je taka zaupnost predvidena v notranji zakonodaji; g) na interese tretjega, ki je dal zahtevane informacije, ne da bi bil to po zakonu dolžan storiti ali bi bilo po zakonu mogoče to od njega zahtevati, in če ta tretji ne da soglasja za predajo gradiva, ali h) na okolje, na katero se informacije nanašajo, kot so na primer kraji razmnoževanja redkih vrst. Omenjene razloge za zavrnitev je treba razlagati omejevalno ob upoštevanju javnega interesa za razkritje in ob upoštevanju, ali se zahtevane informacije nanašajo na emisije v okolje. 5. Če organ javne oblasti nima zahtevanih okoljskih informacij, vložniku čim prej sporoči, pri katerem organu javne oblasti jih je po njegovem mnenju mogoče zahtevati, ali pa zahtevek odstopi temu organu in o tem obvesti vložnika. 6. Pogodbenica zagotovi, da organi javne oblasti dajo na razpolago preostale zahtevane okoljske informacije, če se informacija, ki se ne razkrije na podlagi pododstavka c) tretjega odstavka in četrtega odstavka tega člena, lahko izloči, ne da bi to vplivalo na zaupnost tako izločene informacije. 7. Zahtevek je treba zavrniti pisno, če je bil zahtevek pisno vložen ali če vložnik tako zahteva. V zavrnitvi je treba navesti razloge za zavrnitev in obvestiti o dostopu do revizijskega postopka, zagotovljenega v skladu z 9. členom. Zahtevek je treba zavrniti čim prej oziroma najpozneje v enem mesecu, razen če celovitost informacij opravičuje podaljšanje tega roka do dveh mesecev po prejemu zahtevka. Vložnika je treba obvestiti o vsakem podaljšanju in o razlogih zanj. 8. Pogodbenica lahko dovoli, da njeni organi javne oblasti zaračunavajo stroške dajanja informacij, vendar taki stroški ne smejo presegati razumnega zneska. Organi javne oblasti, ki nameravajo zaračunavati dajanje informacij, morajo vložnikom dati na voljo cenik svojih storitev, ki jih lahko zaračunajo, in navesti okoliščine, v katerih lahko zahtevajo plačilo ali se mu odpovejo in kdaj se za dajanje informacij zahteva vnaprejšnje plačilo.

1. Pogodbenica zagotovi: a) da organi javne oblasti imajo in sproti dopolnjujejo okoljske informacije, ki se nanašajo na njihove naloge; b) da se vzpostavijo obvezni sistemi za zagotavljanje ustreznega dotoka informacij do organov javne oblasti o predlaganih in obstoječih dejavnostih, ki lahko pomembno vplivajo na okolje; c) da se ob neposredni nevarnosti za zdravje ljudi ali za okolje zaradi dejavnosti ljudi ali zaradi naravnih vzrokov članom javnosti, ki bi jih to lahko prizadelo, nemudoma sporočijo vse informacije, ki jih ima na razpolago organ javne oblasti in bi lahko omogočile javnosti, da prepreči ali ublaži škodo zaradi take nevarnosti. 2. Pogodbenica v okviru notranje zakonodaje zagotovi, da je način, na katerega organi javne oblasti dajejo okoljske informacije na razpolago javnosti, pregleden in da so okoljske informacije učinkovito dostopne, med drugim tako da: a) zagotovi, da je javnost dovolj obveščena o vrsti in obsegu okoljskih informacij, ki jih imajo ustrezni organi javne oblasti, o osnovnih določilih in pogojih, pod katerimi so take informacije na razpolago in dostopne, ter o postopku za pridobitev teh informacij; b) vzpostavi in vzdržuje praktično ureditev, tako da: i) poskrbi za javno dostopne sezname, registre ali zbirke podatkov; ii) zahteva od svojih uradnikov, da pomagajo javnosti pri iskanju dostopa do informacij po tej konvenciji, in iii) določi točke za stike in c) zagotovi, da je dostop do okoljskih informacij iz seznamov, registrov ali zbirk podatkov, omenjenih v točki i) pododstavka b), brezplačen. 3. Pogodbenica zagotovi, da bodo okoljske informacije postopoma na razpolago v elektronskih podatkovnih bazah, ki so javnosti lahko dostopne po javnih telekomunikacijskih omrežjih. Informacije, dostopne v tej obliki, bi morale vključevati: a) poročila o stanju okolja iz četrtega odstavka tega člena; b) besedila okoljske zakonodaje ali zakonodaje, ki se nanaša na okolje; c) okoljske in z okoljem povezane politike, načrte in programe ter okoljske sporazume, kadar je to primerno, in d) druge informacije, če bi njihova dostopnost v tej obliki olajšala uporabo notranje zakonodaje za izvajanje te konvencije, in sicer če so take informacije že na voljo v elektronski obliki. 4. Pogodbenica v rednih časovnih presledkih, ki niso daljši od treh ali štirih let, objavi in razširi v javnosti poročilo o stanju okolja v državi, ki vključuje informacije o kakovosti okolja in informacije o pritiskih na okolje. 5. Pogodbenica v okviru svoje zakonodaje sprejme ukrepe za razširjanje v javnosti, med drugim: a) zakonodaje in političnih dokumentov, kot so dokumenti o strategijah, politikah, programih in akcijskih načrtih v zvezi z okoljem, ter poročil o njihovem izvajanju, pripravljenih na različnih vladnih ravneh; b) mednarodnih pogodb, konvencij in sporazumov o okoljskih vprašanjih in c) drugih pomembnih mednarodnih dokumentov o okoljskih vprašanjih, kadar je to primerno. 6. Pogodbenica spodbuja obratovalce, katerih dejavnosti pomembno vplivajo na okolje, da redno obveščajo javnost o vplivih svojih dejavnosti in izdelkov na okolje, kadar je to primerno v okviru prostovoljnega okoljskega označevanja ali programov presoje ravnanja z okoljem ali z drugimi načini. 7. Pogodbenica: a) objavlja tista dejstva in analize dejstev, za katere meni, da so ustrezni in pomembni za oblikovanje glavnih predlogov okoljske politike; b) objavlja razpoložljiva pojasnila o svojem ravnanju v odnosu do javnosti v zadevah s področja te konvencije ali omogoča dostop do njih na drugačen način in c) v ustrezni obliki zagotavlja informacije, kako vlada na vseh ravneh opravlja javne funkcije ali zagotavlja javne storitve v zvezi z okoljem. 8. Pogodbenica razvije mehanizme, s katerimi zagotovi, da je javnost dovolj obveščena o izdelkih, da bi se tako obveščeni potrošniki lahko pri izbiri odločali glede na njihove posledice za okolje. 9. Pogodbenica po potrebi z upoštevanjem mednarodnih procesov postopoma vzpostavi medsebojno povezan vsedržavni sistem popisov ali registrov onesnaževanja v strukturirani, računalniški in javno dostopni podatkovni bazi, zbrani na podlagi standardiziranega poročanja. Tak sistem lahko vključuje vnose, izpuste in prenose določenih vrst snovi in izdelkov, vključno s porabo vode, energije in virov, iz določenih vrst dejavnosti v okolje, v proces čiščenja na kraju samem in drugje ter na odlagališča. 10. Nobena določba tega člena ne sme vplivati na pravico pogodbenic, da zavrnejo razkritje določene okoljske informacije v skladu s tretjim in četrtim odstavkom 4. člena.

1. Pogodbenica a) pri odločanju o dovoljenju za predlagane dejavnosti, naštete v prilogi I, uporablja določbe tega člena; b) v skladu s svojo notranjo zakonodajo uporablja določbe tega člena tudi pri odločanju o predlaganih dejavnostih, ki niso naštete v Prilogi I in bi lahko pomembno vplivale na okolje. Pogodbenice v ta namen določijo, ali za tako predlagano dejavnost veljajo določbe tega člena, in c) lahko za vsak primer posebej, če tako predvideva notranja zakonodaja, odloči, da se za predlagane dejavnosti, ki so namenjene obrambi države, ne uporabljajo določbe tega člena, če meni, da bi njihova uporaba škodljivo vplivala na obrambne namene. 2. Vključeno javnost je treba na začetku postopka okoljskega odločanja ustrezno, pravočasno in učinkovito obvestiti z javno objavo ali vsakogar posebej, če je to primerno, med drugim o: a) predlagani dejavnosti in vlogi, o kateri se bo odločalo; b) vrsti možnih odločitev ali o osnutku odločitve; c) organu javne oblasti, ki je pristojen za odločanje; d) predvidenem postopku, in takoj ko je informacija na razpolago, o: i) začetku postopka; ii) možnostih za udeležbo javnosti; iii) času in kraju vsake predvidene javne obravnave; iv) organu javne oblasti, pri katerem je mogoče dobiti ustrezno informacijo, in o tem, kje se ustrezne informacije hranijo, da jih javnost lahko pregleda; v) ustreznem organu javne oblasti ali katerem koli drugem uradnem organu, ki se mu lahko predložijo pripombe ali vprašanja, ter predvidenem roku za predložitev pripomb ali vprašanj in vi) o tem, katere okoljske informacije v zvezi s predlagano dejavnostjo so na razpolago, in e) dejstvu, da je za dejavnost treba pripraviti državno ali čezmejno presojo vplivov na okolje. 3. Zagotoviti je treba ustrezno časovno obdobje za posamezne faze pri udeležbi javnosti, da je na voljo dovolj časa za obveščanje javnosti v skladu z drugim odstavkom tega člena in da se javnost lahko pripravi in učinkovito sodeluje pri okoljskem odločanju. 4. Pogodbenica zagotovi udeležbo javnosti že na začetku odločanja, ko so še vse možnosti odprte in lahko javnost učinkovito sodeluje. 5. Kadar je to primerno, pogodbenica spodbudi možne vložnike, da preden zaprosijo za dovoljenje, opredelijo vključeno javnost, začnejo razpravo in dajo informacije o ciljih svoje vloge. 6. Pogodbenica zahteva od pristojnih organov javne oblasti, da vključeni javnosti na podlagi zahtevka, če tako določi notranje pravo, omogočijo dostop do vseh informacij, pomembnih za odločanje po tem členu, brezplačno in takoj, ko so na razpolago, da jih lahko preveri, kar pa ne vpliva na pravico pogodbenic, da zavrnejo razkritje določenih informacij v skladu s tretjim in četrtim odstavkom 4. člena. Ob upoštevanju določb 4. člena med ustrezne informacije spadajo vsaj: a) opis kraja ter fizičnih in tehničnih značilnosti predlagane dejavnosti skupaj z oceno pričakovanih ostankov in emisij; b) opis pomembnih učinkov predlagane dejavnosti na okolje; c) opis predvidenih ukrepov za preprečevanje in/ali zmanjšanje teh učinkov in emisij; d) poljuden povzetek navedenega; e) prikaz glavnih drugih možnosti, ki jih je vložnik proučil, in f) v skladu z notranjo zakonodajo glavna poročila in nasveti, ki jih prejme organ javne oblasti v času, ko mora obveščati vključeno javnost v skladu z drugim odstavkom tega člena. 7. V postopkih za udeležbo javnosti je treba javnosti omogočiti, da pisno oziroma na javni obravnavi ali ob zaslišanju vložnika predloži vse pripombe, informacije, analize ali mnenja, za katere meni, da se nanašajo na predlagano dejavnost. 8. Pogodbenica zagotovi, da se pri odločitvah ustrezno upošteva izid udeležbe javnosti. 9. Pogodbenica zagotovi, da je javnost v skladu z ustreznimi postopki nemudoma obveščena o odločitvi, ki jo je sprejel organ javne oblasti. Pogodbenica omogoči javnosti dostop do besedila odločitve skupaj z razlogi in utemeljitvami, na podlagi katerih je bila odločitev sprejeta. 10. Pogodbenica zagotovi, da se s potrebnimi spremembami, in kadar je to primerno, uporabljajo določbe drugega do devetega odstavka tega člena, kadar organ javne oblasti ponovno prouči ali dopolni pogoje za izvajanje dejavnosti iz prvega odstavka. 11. Pogodbenica za odločitve o tem, ali dovoli namerno sproščanje gensko spremenjenih organizmov v okolje, uporablja v okviru svojega notranjega prava določbe tega člena, kolikor je to izvedljivo in primerno.

Ko pogodbenica javnosti zagotovi potrebne informacije, sprejme ustrezne praktične in/ali druge ukrepe, da zagotovi pregledno in pravično udeležbo javnosti pri pripravi načrtov in programov v zvezi z okoljem. Pri tem se uporabljajo tretji, četrti in osmi odstavek 6. člena. Ustrezen organ javne oblasti ob upoštevanju ciljev te konvencije opredeli javnost, ki lahko sodeluje. Pogodbenica si primerno prizadeva zagotoviti možnosti za udeležbo javnosti pri pripravi politik, ki se nanašajo na okolje.

Na ustrezni stopnji in ko so možnosti še odprte, si pogodbenica prizadeva spodbuditi učinkovito udeležbo javnosti pri pripravi izvršilnih predpisov in drugih splošno veljavnih pravno obvezujočih pravil organov javne oblasti, ki lahko pomembno vplivajo na okolje. V ta namen je treba: a) določiti dovolj dolgo časovno obdobje za učinkovito udeležbo, b) objaviti osnutek pravil ali ga kako drugače dati na razpolago javnosti in c) dati javnosti možnost, da neposredno ali po predstavniških svetovalnih telesih daje svoje pripombe. Izid udeležbe javnosti je treba čim bolj upoštevati.

1. Pogodbenica v okviru svoje notranje zakonodaje zagotavlja, da ima vsaka oseba, ki meni, da njen zahtevek za informacije iz 4. člena ni bil upoštevan, da je bil delno ali v celoti neupravičeno zavrnjen, da je bil odgovor neustrezen ali da njen zahtevek kako drugače ni bil obravnavan v skladu z določbami tega člena, dostop do revizijskega postopka pred sodiščem ali pred drugim neodvisnim in nepristranskim telesom, določenim z zakonom. Kadar pogodbenica predvidi revizijo pred sodiščem, mora zagotoviti, da ima taka oseba dostop tudi do hitrega brezplačnega ali poceni z zakonom določenega postopka za ponovno obravnavo zahtevka s strani organa javne oblasti ali za revizijo, ki jo opravi neodvisno in nepristransko telo, ki ni sodišče. Končna odločitev po tem prvem odstavku je obvezujoča za organ javne oblasti, ki razpolaga z informacijami. Razloge je treba navesti pisno, vsaj kadar je dostop do informacij zavrnjen po tem odstavku. 2. Pogodbenica v okviru svoje notranje zakonodaje zagotovi, da imajo člani vključene javnosti, a) ki imajo zadosten interes oziroma b) ki trdijo, da je bila kršena njihova pravica, če se to zahteva kot pogoj po upravnem postopkovnem pravu pogodbenice, dostop do revizijskega postopka pred sodiščem in/ali drugim neodvisnim in nepristranskim telesom, določenim z zakonom, da izpodbijajo stvarno in postopkovno zakonitost katere koli odločitve, dejanja ali opustitve na podlagi določb 6. člena, in kadar je to predvideno po notranjem pravu in brez vpliva na tretji odstavek tega člena, tudi drugih ustreznih določb te konvencije. Kaj sta zadosten interes in kršitev pravice, se določi v skladu z zahtevami notranjega prava in skladno s ciljem te konvencije, da se s to konvencijo daje vključeni javnosti širok dostop do pravnega varstva. V ta namen se za pododstavek a) tega odstavka šteje za zadosten tudi interes vsake nevladne organizacije, ki izpolnjuje zahteve iz petega odstavka 2. člena. Za take organizacije se tudi šteje, da imajo pravice, ki se lahko kršijo v smislu pododstavka b) tega odstavka. Določbe tega drugega odstavka ne izključujejo možnosti predhodnega revizijskega postopka pred upravnim organom in ne vplivajo na zahtevo, da je treba izčrpati vse upravne revizijske postopke, preden se zateče k sodnim revizijskim postopkom, če je taka zahteva predvidena po notranjem pravu. 3. Poleg tega in brez vpliva na revizijske postopke iz prvega in drugega odstavka tega člena mora pogodbenica zagotoviti, da imajo člani javnosti, kadar izpolnjujejo morebitna merila po njenem notranjem pravu, dostop do upravnih ali sodnih postopkov za izpodbijanje dejanj in opustitev oseb zasebnega prava in organov javne oblasti, ki so v nasprotju z določbami njenega notranjega prava, ki se nanaša na okolje. 4. Poleg tega in brez vpliva na prvi odstavek tega člena morajo postopki iz prvega, drugega in tretjega odstavka tega člena zagotavljati ustrezna in učinkovita pravna sredstva, vključno s sodno prepovedjo, če je ta primerna, in biti morajo pošteni, pravični, pravočasni in ne pretirano dragi. Odločitve po tem členu morajo biti izdane ali evidentirane v pisni obliki. Odločitve sodišč in po možnosti tudi drugih teles morajo biti javno dostopne. 5. Da bi povečala učinkovitost določb tega člena, pogodbenica zagotovi, da je javnost seznanjena z dostopom do upravnih in sodnih revizijskih postopkov, ter prouči možnosti za vzpostavitev ustreznih mehanizmov pomoči za odpravo ali zmanjšanje finančnih in drugih ovir za dostop do pravnega varstva.

1. Prvi sestanek pogodbenic se skliče najpozneje eno leto po datumu začetka veljavnosti te konvencije. Nato so redni sestanki pogodbenic najmanj enkrat vsaki dve leti, razen če pogodbenice določijo drugače, ali na pisno zahtevo katere koli pogodbenice pod pogojem, da zahtevo podpre najmanj ena tretjina pogodbenic, v šestih mesecih, potem ko je izvršilni sekretar Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo zahtevo sporočil vsem pogodbenicam. 2. Na sestankih pogodbenice stalno spremljajo izvajanje te konvencije na podlagi rednega poročanja pogodbenic in zato: a) pregledujejo politike ter pravne in metodološke pristope glede dostopa do informacij, udeležbe javnosti pri odločanju in dostopa do pravnega varstva v okoljskih zadevah, da bi jih še izboljšale; b) izmenjujejo informacije o pridobljenih izkušnjah pri sklepanju in izvajanju dvostranskih in večstranskih ali drugih sporazumov, pomembnih za namene te konvencije, katerih pogodbenica je ena ali več pogodbenic te konvencije; c) po potrebi prosijo za pomoč ustrezne organe Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo kot tudi druga ustrezna mednarodna telesa in posebne odbore na vseh področjih, pomembnih za doseganje namenov te konvencije; d) ustanavljajo pomožna telesa, ki se jim zdijo potrebna; e) po potrebi pripravijo protokole k tej konvenciji; f) obravnavajo in sprejemajo predloge za spremembe te konvencije v skladu z določbami 14. člena; g) obravnavajo in sprejmejo vse dodatne ukrepe, potrebne za doseganje namenov te konvencije; h) na svojem prvem sestanku obravnavajo in soglasno sprejmejo poslovnik svojih sestankov in sestankov pomožnih teles; i) na svojem prvem sestanku pregledajo svoje izkušnje pri izvajanju določb devetega odstavka 5. člena in proučijo, kateri ukrepi so potrebni za nadaljnji razvoj sistema iz omenjenega odstavka, pri čemer upoštevajo mednarodne procese in razvoj, vključno s pripravo ustreznega dokumenta o registrih ali popisih izpustov in prenosa onesnaževanja, ki je lahko priloga te konvencije. 3. Na sestanku pogodbenic se po potrebi prouči možnost sklepanja dogovorov o financiranju na podlagi soglasja. 4. Organizacija združenih narodov, njene specializirane agencije in Mednarodna agencija za atomsko energijo ter tudi vsaka država ali organizacija za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje, ki ima v skladu s 17. členom pravico podpisati to konvencijo, ni pa pogodbenica te konvencije, in medvladna organizacija, ki je usposobljena za področja, na katera se nanaša ta konvencija, lahko na sestankih pogodbenic sodelujejo kot opazovalke. 5. Nevladna organizacija, usposobljena za področja, na katera se nanaša ta konvencija, ki je obvestila izvršilnega sekretarja Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo, da želi biti zastopana na sestanku pogodbenic, ima pravico sodelovati kot opazovalka, razen če najmanj ena tretjina na sestanku navzočih pogodbenic temu nasprotuje. 6. Za namene četrtega in petega odstavka tega člena se s poslovnikom iz pododstavka h) drugega odstavka tega člena uredijo postopek za udeležbo in drugi s tem povezani pogoji.

1. Pogodbenica te konvencije ima en glas, razen v primerih iz drugega odstavka tega člena. 2. Organizacije za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje lahko pri zadevah, ki so v njihovi pristojnosti, uresničujejo svojo glasovalno pravico s številom glasov, ki je enako številu držav njihovih držav članic, ki so pogodbenice te konvencije. Te organizacije pa nimajo pravice glasovati, če to pravico uresničijo njihove države članice, in obratno.

Izvršilni sekretar Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo opravlja te naloge: a) sklicuje in pripravlja sestanke pogodbenic; b) pogodbenicam pošilja poročila in druge informacije, ki jih prejme v skladu z določbami te konvencije, in c) druge naloge, ki jih lahko določijo pogodbenice.

Priloge te konvencije so njen sestavni del.

1. Vsaka pogodbenica lahko predlaga spremembe te konvencije. 2. Besedilo predlagane spremembe konvencije se pisno predloži izvršilnemu sekretarju Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo, ki ga pošlje vsem pogodbenicam najmanj devetdeset dni pred sestankom pogodbenic, na katerem naj bi spremembo sprejeli. 3. Pogodbenice si po svojih močeh prizadevajo, da se soglasno dogovorijo o vsaki predlagani spremembi te konvencije. Če so vse možnosti za soglasno sprejetje izčrpane in ni dosežen sporazum, se sprememba v skrajnem primeru lahko sprejme s tričetrtinsko večino glasov pogodbenic, ki so na sestanku navzoče in glasujejo. 4. Depozitar pošlje spremembe te konvencije, sprejete v skladu s tretjim odstavkom tega člena, vsem pogodbenicam v ratifikacijo, odobritev ali sprejetje. Spremembe konvencije razen sprememb prilog začnejo za pogodbenice, ki so jih ratificirale, odobrile ali sprejele, veljati devetdeseti dan od dneva, ko je depozitar od najmanj treh četrtin pogodbenic prejel uradno obvestilo o njihovi ratifikaciji, odobritvi ali sprejetju. Nato pa začnejo za vse druge pogodbenice spremembe veljati devetdeseti dan od dneva, ko pogodbenica deponira svojo listino o ratifikaciji, odobritvi ali sprejetju. 5. Pogodbenica, ki ne more odobriti spremembe priloge te konvencije, o tem pisno uradno obvesti depozitarja v dvanajstih mesecih od dneva sporočila o sprejetju te spremembe. Depozitar o vsakem takem prejetem uradnem obvestilu nemudoma uradno obvesti vse pogodbenice. Pogodbenica lahko svoje predhodno obvestilo kadar koli nadomesti z uradnim obvestilom o sprejetju in za to pogodbenico spremembe take priloge začnejo veljati po deponiranju listine o sprejetju pri depozitarju. 6. Po preteku dvanajstih mesecev od dneva depozitarjevega sporočila iz četrtega odstavka tega člena začne sprememba priloge veljati za tiste pogodbenice, ki depozitarju niso poslale uradnega obvestila v skladu z določbami petega odstavka tega člena, če takega uradnega obvestila ni predložila več kot ena tretjina pogodbenic. 7. V tem členu izraz »pogodbenice, ki so navzoče in glasujejo« pomeni pogodbenice, ki so navzoče in glasujejo za ali proti.

Na sestanku pogodbenic se soglasno določijo možni nekonfliktni, nesodni in posvetovalni postopki za pregled skladnosti z določbami te konvencije. Ti postopki naj omogočajo ustrezno vključevanje javnosti in lahko zajemajo tudi možnost obravnavanja sporočil članov javnosti o zadevah, povezanih s to konvencijo.

1. Pri sporu med dvema ali več pogodbenicami o razlagi ali uporabi te konvencije si pogodbenice prizadevajo za rešitev spora s pogajanji ali na drug za stranke v sporu sprejemljiv način. 2. Pri podpisu, ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi konvencije ali pristopu k njej ali kadar koli pozneje lahko pogodbenica pisno izjavi depozitarju, da za spor, ki ni bil rešen v skladu s prvim odstavkom tega člena, sprejema v odnosu do druge pogodbenice, ki sprejema enako obveznost, kot obveznega enega ali oba od spodaj navedenih načinov reševanja sporov: a) predložitev spora Meddržavnemu sodišču; b) arbitražo v skladu s postopkom iz Priloge II. 3. Če so stranke v sporu sprejele oba načina reševanja sporov iz drugega odstavka tega člena, se lahko spor predloži samo Meddržavnemu sodišču, razen če se stranke dogovorijo drugače.

Ta konvencija je na voljo za podpis v Aarhusu (Danska) 25. junija 1998, nato pa na sedežu Združenih narodov v New Yorku do 21. decembra 1998 za države članice Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo kot tudi za države, ki imajo v Gospodarski komisiji ZN za Evropo svetovalni status v skladu z osmim in enajstim odstavkom resolucije št. 36 (IV) Ekonomsko-socialnega sveta z dne 28. marca 1947, in za organizacije za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje, ki so jih ustanovile suverene države članice Gospodarske komisije ZN za Evropo, na katere so njihove države članice prenesle pristojnost za zadeve, ki jih ureja ta konvencija, vključno s pristojnostjo za sklepanje mednarodnih pogodb v zvezi s temi zadevami.

Depozitar te konvencije je generalni sekretar Združenih narodov.

1. Države podpisnice in organizacije za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje ratificirajo, sprejmejo ali odobrijo to konvencijo. 2. Za države in organizacije za regionalno gospodarsko sodelovanje iz 17. člena je konvencija na voljo za pristop od 22. decembra 1998 dalje. 3. Katera koli druga država, ki ni navedena v drugem odstavku tega člena in je članica Združenih narodov, lahko pristopi h konvenciji po odobritvi sestanka pogodbenic. 4. Za organizacijo iz 17. člena, ki postane pogodbenica te konvencije, ne da bi bila tudi katera koli od njenih držav članic pogodbenica te konvencije, veljajo vse obveznosti iz te konvencije. Če je ena ali več držav članic te organizacije pogodbenica te konvencije, se organizacija in njene države članice dogovorijo o svojih nalogah za izvajanje obveznosti po tej konvenciji. V takih primerih organizacija in države članice ne morejo hkrati uresničevati pravic iz te konvencije. 5. Organizacije za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje iz 17. člena v svojih listinah o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu navedejo obseg svojih pristojnosti v zvezi z zadevami, ki jih ureja ta konvencija. Te organizacije tudi obvestijo depozitarja o vsaki bistveni spremembi obsega svojih pristojnosti.

1. Konvencija začne veljati devetdeseti dan po datumu deponiranja šestnajste listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu. 2. Za prvi odstavek tega člena se listina, ki jo deponira organizacija za regionalno gospodarsko povezovanje, ne šteje kot dodatna k listinam, ki so jih deponirale države članice te organizacije. 3. Za državo ali organizacijo iz 17. člena, ki ratificira, sprejme ali odobri to konvencijo ali k njej pristopi po deponiranju šestnajste listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu, začne konvencija veljati devetdeseti dan po datumu, ko je ta država ali organizacija deponirala svojo listino o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu.

Kadar koli po treh letih od datuma, ko je konvencija za določeno pogodbenico začela veljati, lahko ta pogodbenica konvencijo odpove s pisnim uradnim obvestilom depozitarju. Taka odpoved začne veljati devetdeseti dan po datumu, ko jo je depozitar prejel.

Izvirnik te konvencije, katerega besedila v angleščini, francoščini in ruščini so enako verodostojna, se hrani pri generalnem sekretarju Združenih narodov. V POTRDITEV TEGA so podpisani in za to pravilno pooblaščeni podpisali to konvencijo. SESTAVLJENO v Aarhusu (Danska) petindvajsetega junija tisoč devetsto osemindevetdeset. text="Priloga I SEZNAM DEJAVNOSTI IZ PODODSTAVKA a) PRVEGA ODSTAVKA 6. ČLENA 1. Energetika: – rafinerije nafte in plina; – obrati za uplinjanje in utekočinjanje; – termoelektrarne in druge kurilne naprave z nazivno vhodno toplotno močjo 50 megavatov (MW) ali več; – koksarne; – jedrske elektrarne in drugi jedrski reaktorji, vključno z razstavitvijo ali razgradnjo takih elektrarn ali reaktorjev1 (razen raziskovalnih objektov za proizvodnjo in pretvorbo cepljivih in oplodljivih materialov, katerih največja moč ne presega 1 kW stalne toplotne obremenitve); – obrati za predelavo ožarčenega jedrskega goriva; – obrati: – za proizvodnjo ali obogatitev jedrskega goriva; – za obdelavo ožarčenega jedrskega goriva ali visokoradioaktivnih odpadkov; – za končno odlaganje ožarčenega jedrskega goriva; – izključno za končno odlaganje radioaktivnih odpadkov; – izključno za skladiščenje (načrtovano za več kot 10 let) ožarčenega jedrskega goriva ali radioaktivnih odpadkov zunaj mesta proizvodnje. 2. Proizvodnja in predelava kovin: – obrati za praženje ali sintranje rud (vključno s sulfidnimi rudami); – obrati za proizvodnjo surovega železa ali jekla (primarno ali sekundarno taljenje), vključno s kontinuirnim litjem, z zmogljivostjo več kot 2,5 tone na uro; – obrati za predelavo železa in jekla: i) obrati za vroče valjanje z zmogljivostjo več kot 20 ton surovega jekla na uro; ii) kovačije, v katerih uporabljena toplotna moč presega 20 MW, in s kladivi, katerih energija je večja od 50 kilodžulov na kladivo; iii) nanašanje zaščitnih prevlek iz staljenih kovin z vložkom več kot 2 toni surovega jekla na uro; – livarne železa in jekla s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 20 ton na dan; – obrati: i) za proizvodnjo surovih barvnih kovin iz rude, koncentratov ali sekundarnih surovin z metalurškimi, kemičnimi ali elektrolitskimi postopki; ii) za taljenje in legiranje barvnih kovin, vključno z izrabljenimi izdelki za predelavo (rafinacija, litje itd.) s talilno zmogljivostjo več kot 4 tone na dan za svinec in kadmij ali 20 ton na dan za vse druge kovine; – obrati za površinsko obdelavo kovin in plastičnih mas z uporabo elektrolitskih ali kemičnih postopkov v kadeh s prostornino več kot 30 m3. 3. Nekovinska industrija: – obrati za proizvodnjo cementnega klinkerja v rotacijskih pečeh s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 500 ton na dan ali apna v rotacijskih pečeh s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 50 ton na dan ali v drugih pečeh s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 50 ton na dan; – obrati za proizvodnjo azbesta in azbestnih izdelkov; – obrati za proizvodnjo stekla, vključno s steklenimi vlakni, s talilno zmogljivostjo več kot 20 ton na dan; – obrati za taljenje nekovin, vključno s proizvodnjo mineralnih vlaken, s talilno zmogljivostjo več kot 20 ton na dan; – obrati za izdelavo keramičnih izdelkov z žganjem, posebno strešnikov, opek, ognjevzdržnih opek, ploščic, lončevine ali porcelana, s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 75 ton na dan in/ali z zmogljivostjo peči več kot 4 m3 in vložkom v posamezno peč več kot 300 kg/m3. 4. Kemična industrija: proizvodnja v okviru kategorij dejavnosti iz tega odstavka pomeni proizvodnjo na industrijski ravni s kemično predelavo snovi ali skupin snovi iz pododstavkov a) do g): a) Kemični obrati za proizvodnjo osnovnih organskih kemikalij, kot so: i) enostavni ogljikovodiki (ciklični ali neciklični, nasičeni ali nenasičeni, alifatski ali aromatski); ii) ogljikovodiki z vezanim kisikom, kot so alkoholi, aldehidi, ketoni, karboksilne kisline, estri, acetati, etri, peroksidi, epoksi smole; iii) žveplovi ogljikovodiki; iv) dušikovi ogljikovodiki, kot so amini, amidi, dušikove, nitro- ali nitratne spojine, nitrili, cianati, izocianati; v) ogljikovodiki z vezanim fosforjem; vi) halogeni ogljikovodiki; vii) organokovinske spojine; viii) osnovne plastične mase (polimeri, sintetična vlakna in vlakna na osnovi celuloze); ix) sintetične gume; x) barve in pigmenti; xi) površinsko aktivne snovi. b) Kemični obrati za proizvodnjo osnovnih anorganskih kemikalij, kot so: i) plini, kot so amoniak, klor ali vodikov klorid, fluor ali vodikov fluorid, ogljikovi oksidi, žveplove spojine, dušikovi oksidi, vodik, žveplov dioksid, karbonilklorid; ii) kisline, kot so kromova kislina, fluorovodikova kislina, fosforjeva kislina, dušikova kislina, klorovodikova kislina, žveplova kislina, oleum, žveplasta kislina; iii) lugi, kot so amonijev hidroksid, kalijev hidroksid, natrijev hidroksid; iv) soli, kot so amonijev klorid, kalijev klorat, kalijev karbonat, natrijev karbonat, perborat, srebrov nitrat; v) nekovine, kovinski oksidi ali druge anorganske spojine, kot so kalcijev karbid, silicij, silicijev karbid; c) kemični obrati za proizvodnjo fosfornih, dušikovih ali kalijevih gnojil (enostavnih ali sestavljenih); d) kemični obrati za proizvodnjo osnovnih sredstev za varstvo rastlin in biocidov; e) obrati, v katerih se uporabljajo kemični ali biološki postopki za proizvodnjo osnovnih farmacevtskih izdelkov; f) kemični obrati za proizvodnjo eksplozivnih snovi; g) kemični obrati, v katerih se s kemičnimi ali biološkimi postopki proizvajajo beljakovinski dodatki krme, encimi in druge beljakovinske snovi. 5. Ravnanje z odpadki: – obrati za sežiganje, predelavo, kemično obdelavo ali odlaganje nevarnih odpadkov; – obrati za sežiganje komunalnih odpadkov z zmogljivostjo več kot 3 tone na uro; – obrati za odstranjevanje nenevarnih odpadkov z zmogljivostjo več kot 50 ton na dan; – odlagališča, ki sprejmejo več kot 10 ton odpadkov na dan ali s skupno zmogljivostjo več kot 25.000 ton, razen odlagališč za inertne odpadke. 6. Čistilne naprave za odpadno vodo z zmogljivostjo za več kot 150 000 populacijskih ekvivalentov. 7. Industrijski obrati za: a) proizvodnjo papirne kaše iz lesa ali podobnih vlaknatih materialov; b) proizvodnjo papirja in lepenke s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 20 ton na dan. 8. a) Gradnja prog za železniški promet na dolge razdalje in letališč2 z osnovno dolžino vzletnih stez 2100 m ali več; b) gradnja avtocest in hitrih cest;3 c) gradnja novih štiri- ali večpasovnih cest ali premestitev in/ali razširitev obstoječih dvo- ali manjpasovnih cest v štiri- ali večpasovne ceste, če je neprekinjena dolžina take nove ali premeščene in/ali razširjene ceste 10 ali več km. 9. a) Notranje plovne poti in pristanišča za promet po notranjih plovnih poteh za plovila z nosilnostjo več kot 1350 ton; b) trgovska pristanišča, pomoli za natovarjanje in raztovarjanje, povezani s kopnim, in zunanja pristanišča (razen trajektnih pomolov), ki lahko sprejmejo plovila z nosilnostjo več kot 1350 ton. 10. Črpanje podtalnice ali sistemi za umetno bogatenje podtalnice, če je letna količina načrpane ali obogatene vode enaka ali večja od 10 milijonov kubičnih metrov. 11. a) Objekti za prenos vode med porečji, če je prenos namenjen preprečevanju morebitnega pomanjkanja vode in če je količina prenesene vode večja od 100 milijonov kubičnih metrov na leto; b) v vseh drugih primerih objekti za prenos vode med porečji, če je večletni povprečni pretok porečja, v katerem se voda črpa, večji od 2000 milijonov kubičnih metrov na leto in če je količina prenesene vode večja od 5% tega pretoka. V obeh primerih ni zajet prenos vodovodne pitne vode. 12. Komercialno črpanje nafte in zemeljskega plina, če količina načrpane nafte presega 500 ton na dan in 500 000 kubičnih metrov plina na dan. 13. Jezovi in drugi objekti za zadrževanje ali trajno skladiščenje vode, če nova ali dodatna količina zadržane ali uskladiščene vode presega 10 milijonov kubičnih metrov. 14. Cevovodi za plin, nafto ali kemikalije s premerom več kot 800 mm in dolžino več kot 40 km. 15. Obrati za intenzivno rejo perutnine ali prašičev z več kot: a) 40 000 mest za perutnino; b) 2000 mest za pitance (težje od 30 kg) ali c) 750 mest za plemenske svinje. 16. Kamnolomi in površinski kopi, če pridobivalna površina presega 25 hektarjev, ali kopanje šote, če pridobivalna površina presega 150 hektarjev. 17. Gradnja nadzemne električne napeljave z napetostjo 220 kV ali več in dolžino več kot 15 km. 18. Objekti za skladiščenje nafte, petrokemičnih ali kemičnih izdelkov z zmogljivostjo 200 000 ton ali več. 19. Druge dejavnosti: – obrati za predhodno obdelavo (postopki, kot so pranje, beljenje, mercerizacija) ali barvanje vlaken ali tkanin, katerih zmogljivost obdelave presega 10 ton na dan; – obrati za strojenje kož, katerih zmogljivost obdelave presega 12 ton končnih izdelkov na dan; – a) klavnice z zmogljivostjo zakola več kot 50 ton na dan; b) obdelava in predelava za proizvodnjo živil iz: i) živalskih surovin (razen mleka) s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 75 ton končnih izdelkov na dan; ii) rastlinskih surovin s proizvodno zmogljivostjo več kot 300 ton končnih izdelkov na dan (povprečna četrtletna vrednost); c) obdelava in predelava mleka, če je količina zbranega mleka več kot 200 ton na dan (povprečna letna vrednost); – kafilerije z zmogljivostjo predelave več kot 10 ton na dan; – obrati za površinsko obdelavo snovi, predmetov ali izdelkov z uporabo organskih topil, zlasti za apreturo, tiskanje, premazovanje, razmaščevanje, impregniranje proti vlagi, klejanje, barvanje, čiščenje ali impregniranje, s porabo več kot 150 kg na uro ali več kot 200 ton na leto; – obrati za proizvodnjo ogljika (antracita) ali elektrografita s sežiganjem ali grafitizacijo. 20. Dejavnost, ki ni omenjena v odstavkih 1 do 19 in za katero je udeležba javnosti v skladu z notranjo zakonodajo predvidena s postopkom presoje vplivov na okolje. 21. Določba pododstavka a) prvega odstavka 6. člena te konvencije se ne uporablja za nobeno od zgornjih naštetih dejavnosti, ki se izvaja manj kot dve leti izključno ali v glavnem za raziskave, razvoj in preizkušanje novih metod ali izdelkov, razen če bi lahko povzročila pomembne škodljive učinke na okolje ali zdravje. 22. Če sprememba ali razširitev dejavnosti sama po sebi izpolnjuje merila/mejne vrednosti, določene v tej prilogi, se zanjo uporablja pododstavek a) prvega odstavka 6. člena te konvencije. Za vse druge spremembe ali razširitev dejavnosti se uporablja pododstavek b) prvega odstavka 6. člena te konvencije. Opombe: 1 Jedrske elektrarne in drugi jedrski reaktorji se ne štejejo več za take obrate, če so bili jedrsko gorivo in drugi radioaktivno onesnaženi elementi trajno odstranjeni iz obrata. 2 V tej konvenciji »letališče« pomeni letališče, ki je skladno z opredelitvijo v Čikaški konvenciji iz leta 1944, s katero je bila ustanovljena Mednarodna organizacija za civilno letalstvo (Priloga 14). 3 V tej konvenciji »hitra cesta« pomeni cesto, ki je skladna z opredelitvijo v Evropskem sporazumu o glavnih mednarodnih prometnih žilah z dne 15. novembra 1975." text="Priloga II ARBITRAŽA 1. Če se spor predloži v reševanje arbitraži v skladu z drugim odstavkom 16. člena, morajo stranka ali stranke v sporu obvestiti sekretariat o predmetu arbitraže in zlasti navesti člene konvencije, katerih razlaga ali uporaba je sporna. Sekretariat pošlje prejete informacije vsem pogodbenicam te konvencije. 2. Razsodišče sestavljajo trije člani. Tožeča stranka ali stranke in druga stranka ali stranke v sporu imenujejo po enega razsodnika in tako imenovana razsodnika sporazumno določita tretjega razsodnika, ki bo predsednik razsodišča. Ta ne sme biti državljan nobene od strank v sporu, ne sme imeti običajnega prebivališča na njihovem ozemlju, ne sme biti pri njih zaposlen, niti se ni s to zadevo kakor koli drugače ukvarjal. 3. Če predsednik razsodišča ni bil določen v dveh mesecih od imenovanja drugega razsodnika, imenuje predsednika izvršilni sekretar Gospodarske komisije za Evropo na zahtevo ene od strank v sporu v naslednjih dveh mesecih. 4. Če ena od strank v sporu ne imenuje razsodnika v dveh mesecih po prejemu zahteve, lahko druga stranka o tem obvesti izvršilnega sekretarja Gospodarske komisije za Evropo, ki v naslednjih dveh mesecih določi predsednika razsodišča. Ko je predsednik razsodišča določen, zahteva od stranke, ki ni imenovala razsodnika, da to stori v dveh mesecih. Če tega ne stori v tem roku, predsednik o tem obvesti izvršilnega sekretarja Gospodarske komisije za Evropo, ki imenuje razsodnika v naslednjih dveh mesecih. 5. Razsodišče sprejme svojo odločitev v skladu z mednarodnim pravom in določbami te konvencije. 6. Vsako razsodišče, ustanovljeno v skladu z določbami iz te priloge, pripravi svoj poslovnik. 7. Razsodišče sprejme odločitev o postopku in vsebini z večino glasov svojih članov. 8. Razsodišče lahko sprejme vse potrebne ukrepe za ugotovitev dejstev. 9. Stranke v sporu morajo olajšati delo razsodišča, z vsemi razpoložljivimi sredstvi pa morajo predvsem: a) priskrbeti vso ustrezno dokumentacijo, sredstva za delo in informacije; b) omogočiti razsodišču, da po potrebi vabi priče ali izvedence in pridobi njihovo pričevanje. 10. Stranke in razsodniki varujejo tajnost podatkov, ki jih prejmejo kot tajne med postopkom razsodišča. 11. Na zahtevo ene od strank lahko razsodišče predlaga začasne odredbe. 12. Če ena od strank v sporu ne pride pred razsodišče ali če ji ne uspe zagovarjati njenega primera, lahko druga stranka zahteva, da razsodišče nadaljuje postopek in sprejme končno odločitev. Odsotnost stranke ali dejstvo, da ji ni uspelo zagovarjati njenega primera, ne sme biti ovira za nadaljevanje postopka. 13. Razsodišče lahko obravnava in določi nasprotne zahtevke, ki izhajajo neposredno iz predmeta spora. 14. Če razsodišče zaradi posebnih okoliščin primera ne določi drugače, krijejo stroške razsodišča, vključno z denarnim nadomestilom za njegove člane, stranke v sporu v enakih deležih. Razsodišče vodi evidenco vseh svojih stroškov in predloži strankam končni obračun stroškov. 15. Vsaka pogodbenica te konvencije, ki ima pravni interes v sporni zadevi in jo odločitev v tej zadevi lahko prizadene, lahko s soglasjem razsodišča vstopi v postopek. 16. Razsodišče izda razsodbo v petih mesecih od datuma, ko je bilo ustanovljeno, razen če ugotovi, da je treba ta rok podaljšati, vendar le za obdobje, ki ne sme biti daljše od petih mesecev. 17. Razsodbi razsodišča je treba priložiti utemeljitev. Razsodba je dokončna in zavezujoča za vse stranke v sporu. Razsodišče pošlje razsodbo strankam v sporu in sekretariatu. Sekretariat pošlje prejete informacije vsem pogodbenicam te konvencije. 18. Morebiten spor med strankami zaradi razlage ali izvršitve arbitražne odločbe lahko katerakoli stranka predloži razsodišču, ki je razsodbo izdalo, če pa to ni več mogoče, pa drugemu razsodišču, ki se v ta namen ustanovi na enak način kot prvo."

Za izvajanje konvencije skrbi Ministrstvo za okolje, prostor in energijo.

Ta zakon začne veljati petnajsti dan po objavi v Uradnem listu Republike Slovenije – Mednarodne pogodbe. Št. 010-01/04-13/1 Ljubljana, dne 20. maja 2004 EPA 1239-III Predsednik Državnega zbora Republike Slovenije Borut Pahor l. r.