{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1346/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1346/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2017/1346",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision (EU) 2017/1346 of 17 July 2017 on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, at the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention as regards compliance case ACCC/C/2008/32",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1346",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision (EU) 2017/1346\nof 17 July 2017\non the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, at the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention as regards compliance case ACCC/C/2008/32\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nOn 17 February 2005, the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environamental Matters (‘the Aarhus Convention’) was approved, on behalf of the European Community, by Council Decision 2005/370/EC.\n(2)\nThe Union implemented the obligations of the Aarhus Convention with regard to its institutions and bodies notably by way of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council.\n(3)\nPursuant to Article 15 of the Aarhus Convention, the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (‘the Committee’) was established, which is competent to review the Parties' compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention.\n(4)\nOn 17 March 2017, the Union received findings in case ACCC/C/2008/32 regarding access to justice at Union level (‘the findings’). In paragraph 123 of the findings, the Committee held that ‘the Party concerned fails to comply with Article 9, paragraphs 3 and 4, of the Convention with regard to access to justice by members of the public because neither the Aarhus Regulation, nor the jurisprudence of the CJEU implements or complies with the obligations arising under those paragraphs.’\n(5)\nThe Aarhus Convention bodies have been made aware by the Declaration that the Union made upon signature and reiterated upon approval of the Aarhus Convention that ‘[w]ithin the institutional and legal context of the Community […] the Community institutions will apply the Convention within the framework of their existing and future rules on access to documents and other relevant rules of Community law in the field covered by the Convention.’\n(6)\nOne of the findings in case ACCC/C/2008/32, namely that the Union fails to comply with paragraphs (3) and (4) of Article 9 of the Aarhus Convention, has been incorporated into draft Decision VI/8f, which will be submitted to the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention to take place in September 2017 in Budva, Montenegro.\n(7)\nThe Union should explore ways and means to comply with the Aarhus Convention in a way that is compatible with the fundamental principles of the Union legal order and with its system of judicial review.\n(8)\nIn view of the separation of powers in the Union, the Council cannot give instructions or make recommendations to the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘the Court of Justice’) concerning its judicial activities. Therefore, the recommendations in draft Decision VI/8f related to the Court of Justice and its jurisprudence cannot be accepted.\n(9)\nThe Union continues to fully support the important objectives of the Aarhus Convention.\n(10)\nThe Union should determine the position to be taken at the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention with regard to draft Decision VI/8f,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ L 124, 17.5.2005, p. 4."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Council Decision 2005/370/EC of 17 February 2005 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (OJ L 124, 17.5.2005, p. 1)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and bodies (OJ L 264, 25.9.2006, p. 13)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/1346/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:13:24.987393+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}