European Union turns its citizens green

EUROPEAN law is to guarantee the rights of EU citizens to access environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making and grant them the right to bring environmental violations to courts, if EU ministers agree a proposal from the European Commission.

The Commission has proposed that the updated UN Aarhus Convention on the subject is written into EU legislation, making it compulsory for member states and enforceable by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said: "Citizens must be given the right to know how good or bad the state of the environment is and to participate in decision-making that will affect their health and quality of life. They will now be able to act as environmental watchdogs."