Environment: public participation in plans and programmes

The committee adopted the report by Eija-Riitta Anneli KORHOLA (EPP-ED, FIN) amending the Council's common position under the 2nd reading of the codecision procedure. The committee reinstated, wholly or in part, a number of amendments adopted by Parliament at 1st reading. These included providing for the public to be educated about decision-making, providing for the public to have access to a judicial review procedure in relation to plans and programmes and extending public participation to Community legislation, plans and programmes which may have a significant effect on the environment or on individual and public health and well-being. Other amendments relating to national defence aimed to reach a compromise between Parliament's 1st reading and the common position, by stipulating that Member States could decide on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with national law, that the legislation should not apply to plans, programmes and projects serving national defence purposes if such application would have an "adverse impact". Lastly, as regards public participation in the updating of a permit in cases where emission limit values need to be significantly changed, the committee rejected the overly restrictive wording of the common position and adopted an amendment reinstating the wording of the Aarhus Convention. �