Description (short summary):
The final report provides a description of the experience gained from the application in Austria of EU Directive 2003/4/EC concerning the public access to environmental information.

The Directive states that the public bodies and the companies of the private sector have to grant their access to any environmental information. The Directive was introduced in Austria at a federal level with an amendment to the environmental information law (Umweltinformationgesetze, UIG) 2004 (Federal Law Gazette No. 6/2005), and at states level (Länder) with corresponding amendments to nine provincial laws.

Currently the following national laws contain the new rules according to Directive 2003/4/EC:

• Environmental Information Act of Burgenland, idF. LGBl. 2007/8
• Information and Statistics Act of Carinthia, idF. LGBl. 2005/70
• South Austrian Information Act., idF. LGBl. 2006/94a
• North Austrian Environmental Act 1996. , idF. LGBl. 2006/44
• Environmental Protection and Information Act of Salzburg, idF. LGBl. 2007/72
• Environmental Information Act of Steiermark, idF. LGBl. 2005/65
• Environmental Information Act of Tirol, idF. LGBl. 2005/89
• Environmental Information Act of Voralberg, idF. LGBl. 2005/56
• Environmental Information Act of Vienna, idF. LGBl. 2006/48

The Directive concerns the implementation of one of the three points of the Aahrus Convention of the UN Economic Commission for Europe. Other points in this Convention refer to the issue of public participation in environmental decision-making process (e.g. environmental assessments), as well as the access to justice in connection with environmental matters.

Number of pages: 20