EcoLur
On 29 July Nature Protection Ministry invited NGOs to discuss the results of the 4th meeting of Parties to the Aarhus Convention in Kishinev. The meeting was presided by First Deputy Minister Simon Papyan. In her speech Armenian National Coordinator Aida Iskoyan outlined, Armenia in Kishinev received only soft observations, unlike other countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan and even Great Britain. Under her, the main focus was on the shortcomings in the legislation that enable to find colorable loopholes, as well as on the fact that Aarhus convention provisions have weak application in practice. Reminder: the decision on Armenia at the meeting of Parties to the Aarhus Convention was based on the expert opinion of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee. The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee admitted two complaints (on Dalma Gardens and Teghout Cooper-Molybdenum Project) for consideration and acknowledged in both cases that Armenia, as a party to the Aarhus Convention, doesn’t comply with the obligations undertaken by the convention.
Now official Armenia is laid down a condition that by April 2012 the country will have taken certain actions to eliminate shortcomings laid down in the decision, particularly, to work out and present the Action Plan.
“We expect from NGOs to take part in the implementation of this plan, to make proposals so as we could fulfill the obligations we have undertaken,” Simon Papyan said. He also invited NGOs to participate in the work of the interdepartmental committee set up in the frames of Aarhus Convention and to present candidates. Many participants first heard about this committee. Even after discussions it was still unclear when this committee meets and what kind of issues it solves.
Simon Papyan and Aida Iskoyan didn’t agree with the opinion that the Government had failed the Aarhus Convention and brought the example when the government called back its own decision when Gilan Section in “Khosrov Forest” Reserve was returned its former status of conservation area.
Transparency International Anticorruption Center President Sona Ayvazyan thinks, that the individual decisions don’t prove that the government is implementing the OK. “It is the result of public activity, but not that of government position”, - she said.
“Burg” Center Chairman Arman Vermishyan proposed to introduce economic assessment of damages caused to environment at legislative level.
“EcoLur” Informational NGO proposes:
- to display on the official website of the Nature Protection Ministry all the documentation on projects submitted for environmental impact assessment,
- actively disseminate efficient information in regard with harmful emissions and pollution which refer to risks for environment and health,
- get rid of public hearings with imitative nature, include public opinion and independent expert assessments in the minutes of public hearings without any distortions, and above all, take into account these opinions when drawing up environmental expert assessment opinions,
- give hazard classes to industrial wastes, tails, tailing dumps and to draw up a draft decision on fees for these wastes in accordance with hazard class.
Simon Papyan suggested to submit all the proposals and observations in writing so s to introduce them in the action plan, as well as to present candidates or the Aarhus Convention Interdepartmental Committee.
August 03, 2011 at 12:51