As the espoo convention responds to an evolving policy context, the parties have increasingly turned to subsidiary means of decisionmaking under the convention. Introduction to the unece protocol on strategic environmental assessment to the espoo convention. The espoo convention was adopted in 1991 and entered into force on 10 september 1997. The convention was adopted in 1991 and entered into force in 1997. List of the 35 parties to the second amendment to the espoo convention list and map of the signatories and 33 parties to the protocol on sea. Prevention obligations in international environmental law. The espoo convention, for example, only requires that due account is taken of the environmental impact assessment and the results of the consultations article 6. We consider the kinds of activities that the meeting of the parties and the implementation committee are being called upon to perform and the ambiguous normative status of these. Based on the information provided, the committee found that ukraines claims were unsubstantiated.
Espoo has been a member of icca scandinavian chapter sustainability index since the early days of the project and over the years the attitude change within the events industry in the city has been a big one. Consultation in accordance with articles 4 and 5 of the. The project of reconstruction and modernization of the railway line novi sad subotica. United nations treaty handbook provides explanation of the various terms signature, ratification, etc. The formal name of espoo convention is convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context.
The uns economic commission for europes convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context or the espoo convention, called so because it was signed in the finnish town of espoo in 1991 is the main international legal act serving as the basis for evaluations of transboundary ecological risks carried by this or. Convention on environmental impact assessment in a. This espoo convention form focuses only on the serbian sector of the railway line, which is hereinafter referred to as the project. The significance of the convention on environmental impact. International documents on corporate responsibility includes the principal international, regional and national instruments drafted by intergovernmental organisations or states as well as codes of conduct formulated by industry associations, trade unions and nongovernmental organisations. A modest contribution to environmental democracy and. The significance of the convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context espoo convention in international environmental law. Environmental impact assessment under the united nations. Moreover, it found that romania was not in noncompliance with the espoo convention because romania had not carried out any proposed activity or made any proposed major changes to the existing activity subject to the provisions of the convention.
Espoo shares its eastern border with helsinki and vantaa, while. Espoo is part of the helsinki metropolitan area and is committed together with other metropolitan cities to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions per capita by almost 40 % by year 2030. The espoo convention compliance and enforcement system operates on the basis of national reports. Today, 70 % of all the hotels in espoo are ecocertified and furthermore 63 %. Nord stream 2 publishes transboundary environmental report. This article provides an overview and analysis of the icjs findings in respect of eia obligations and places them in the context of. Transboundary permitting procedure the espoo procedure is a transnational hearing of potential transboundary project impacts, where potentially affected countries can opt to participate in the eia process as it is described in the convention on the environmental impact assessment in transboundary context. Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context the parties to this convention, aware of the interrelationship between economic activities and their environmental consequences, affirming the need to ensure environmentally sound and sustainable development, determined to enhance international cooperation in assessing.
The convention sets out the obligations of partiesthat is states that have agreed to be bound by the conventionto carry out an. The espoo convention is a key step to bringing together all stakeholders to prevent environmental damage before it occurs. Esbo, is the second largest city and municipality in finland. Espoo shares its eastern border with helsinki and vantaa, while enclosing kauniainen. Implementing the espoo convention in transboundary eia. Pdf challenges of environmental impact assessment eia.
Transboundary context espoo convention for the nord stream 2 gas pipeline project southeastern route in denmark in a letter dated 8 april 20 denmark notified your country, in accordance with article 3 of the espoo convention, of the project by nord stream ag, at the moment nord stream 2 ag, to construct and operate a natural gas pipeline. Developments in the international law of environmental. Transboundary environmental cooperation yearbook of. Based on the 1967 us model and its development into the 1991 espoo convention. The international court of justices icj decision in the pulp mills case provides a detailed consideration of the current status and content of a states obligation to conduct transboundary environmental impact assessments eias in general international law. Espoo convention the espoo eia convention sets out the obligations of parties to assess the environmental impact of certain activities at an early stage of planning. Protocol on strategic environmental assessment europe. Secretariat to the espoo convention and its protocol on sea. A major step towards more sustainable future is the opening of west metro in 2016.
The convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context informally called the espoo convention is a united nations economic commission for europe unece convention signed in espoo, finland, in 1991 that entered into force in 1997. It was complemented by the protocol on strategic environmental assessment kyiv, 2003. View enhanced pdf access article on wiley online library html view download pdf for offline viewing. Subsidiary decisionmaking under the espoo convention. The convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context sets out the obligations to assess the environmental impact of certain activities at an early stage of decision making. The convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context is named espoo after the town in finland where the convention was adopted in 1991. Espoo convention on environmental impact assessment eia. The population of the city of espoo is 252,730 31 january 2012. The english version of the nord stream espoo report has been translated into 9.
It applies environmental impact assessment, a widely adopted legal principle and procedure, to projects that may have transboundary impacts. This convention shall be open for signature at espoo finland from 25 february to 1 march 1991 and thereafter at united nations headquarters in new york until 2 september 1991 by states members of the economic commission for europe as well as states having consultative status with the economic commission for europe pursuant to paragraph 8 of the economic and social. Pdf the convention on environmental impact assessment in. Overview of espoo and aarhus conventions obligations in the nuclear sector by dr. It also lays down the general obligation of states to notify and consult each other on all major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact. Glossary terms environmental impact assessment, transboundary effect. Trade, transboundary impacts and the implementation of sdg. The basic structure of unep eia goals and principles was taken by the convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context espoo convention, adopted by the united nations economic commission for europe unece in 1991. Sustainable use means the use of components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the longterm decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet. This is one of the main criticisms of environmental assessment generally holder 2004, p 235, and has been noted in relation to international environmental impact assessment. Overview nord stream 2 is a project to build and operate a new twin pipeline through the baltic sea, which will transport natural gas from the worlds largest reserves in russia to the internal gas market in the european union eu. Effective environmental governance or struggling conciliatory measure. The espoo convention requires the party of origin state in which a project is planned to examine the environmental impacts of a project on a neighbouring state affected party and provides that the party of origin must notify the point of contact of the affected party of any activity likely to have a significant adverse transboundary environmental impact. April 6, 2017 zug nord stream 2 ag today published an environmental impact assessment espoo report to document potential transboundary impacts of its planned pipeline through the baltic sea.
Overview of espoo and aarhus conventions obligations in. Gk, general studies, optional notes for upsc, ias, banking, civil services. Oecd ilibrary the application of the espoo convention on. The espoo convention with the strategic environmental assessment sea protocol and the aarhus convention reduce the impact of state borders for participatory rights in environmental decision making with transboundary reach. Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context espoo, 1991 and its protocol on strategic environmental assessment kiev. The company has submitted this espoo report to the national authorities of russia, finland, sweden, denmark and germany for the countries to start consultations on crossnational environmental. Convention and which has been duly authorized, in accordance with its internal procedures, to sign, ratify, accept, approve or accede to it. Doerte fouquet, becker buttoner held conference public participation in t slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. The convention on the protection of the marine environment of the baltic sea area also known as the helsinki convention was originally signed in 1974 by all baltic sea coastal countries, seeking to address the increasing environmental challenges from industrialisation and other human activities and that were having a severe impact on the marine environment. It is part of the finnish capital region, along with the cities of helsinki, vantaa, and kauniainen, and most of its population lives in the inner urban core of the helsinki metropolitan area. Espoo convention convention on environmental impact. The convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context espoo convention chapter pdf available january 2007 with 294 reads how we measure reads.
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