Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-13-Speech-2-220"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2001-03-13"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Public access to environmental information2
dcterms:Language	"el"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20010313.15.2-220"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2001-03-13-Speech-2-2212
lpv:speaker	lp:Minerva Melpomeni Malliori2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Temporary committee on human genetics and other new technologies in modern medicine (2000-12-13--2001-11-29)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (1999-10-06--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Panellinio Socialistiko Kinima (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs (2000-02-23--2002-01-14)3 member; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, Commissioner, information is a basic principle of democracy. Free access to and the dissemination of transparent environmental information are the basic right of every citizen who cares about the quality of the environment in which he or she lives and works. The accessibility of the environmental data held by the authorities is crucial to raising public awareness and securing the trust and democratic involvement of our citizens. Numerous shortcomings were identified during the application of Directive 90/313 and it therefore needs to be revised. In the light of the signature of the Aarhus Convention and progress in information technology, the Commission has submitted a new proposal for a directive which covers most of the aforementioned points. However, amendments have been proposed which seek to extend the Commission proposal even further. For example, the definition of public authorities must include agencies and legal persons acting on behalf of the public authorities. The directive relates to environmental information and must include information in all accessible forms, such as written, visual, aural etc. Any person or organisation may request environmental information without needing to prove a legitimate interest. As regards the deadline by which the administration must respond to a request for environmental information, I think that a period of two weeks is long enough, so as to ensure that interested parties can use the information before it is out of date. I think it is very important that there should be no commitment as regards the provision of information and no exceptions in relation to particularly important issues, such as gas emissions, discharges, dumping and other releases into the environment. It is also essential, every time the public authorities refuse to disclose information, irrespective of whether or not this is based on an exception, that they give adequate reasons for their refusal. The directive stipulates that the public authorities may make a charge for supplying information. I think that this charge should be limited to the actual cost of reproducing the information, so as to facilitate the greatest possible public access to the information. Finally, I should like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Korhola on her comprehensive report which will, I think, represent an important step towards active public involvement in dealing with environmental problems."@en1

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