Original Scientific Paper
Vol.9, No 1, 2011 pp. 69-84
UDC 502.14:061(497.5)
THE LEGAL POSITION OF ASSOCIATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PROCEDURES IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Dragan Medvedović, Lana Ofak
School of Law at the University of Zagreb, Croatia
E-mail: dragan.medvedovic@zg.htnet.hr
Non-governmental organisation for environmental protection can significantly improve the implementation of environmental law. Their important role in environmental protection is recognised by the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters adopted in Aarhus in 1998 (the Aarhus Convention).
The Aarhus Convention came into force in the Republic of Croatia on June 25, 2007 upon the adoption of the Environmental Protection Act as the main act for implementing the Convention into the Croatian legislation. The Aarhus Convention guarantees the procedural environmental rights (access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice). The two acts which are particularly important for the implementation of the Convention in the Croatian legal system are the General Administrative Procedure Act and the Administrative Disputes Act.
In this paper, the author analyses the manifold legal status of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in environmental protection proceedings. First, an NGO may have the status of a party whose rights, obligations or legal interests are being decided upon in the administrative procedure (for instance, an administrative proceeding on exercising the right of an NGO to access environmental information). Second, an NGO which is active in the field of environmental protection and meets all the requirements in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act shall be deemed to be a concerned party and shall, therefore, have the right to participate in environmental protection proceedings in which the Act provides for the general public and/or concerned public participation (e. g. environmental impact assessment procedure).
Third, an NGO may have a procedural legitimacy to pursue a review and protection in the field of administrative law in case some other action of a public authority has violated certain right, obligation or legal interest of an NGO (for instance, depriving an NGO of the right to participate in the process of preparing the waste management plan). Forth, an NGO may submit information (a notice) to a relevant authority pointing to the need to initiate an administrative proceeding ex officio in order to protect the public interest (e. g. a notice to the inspection authorities about environmental pollution). Although the subject matter of this proceeding does not involve the NGO’s right, obligation or legal interest (in which case it would be regarded as a disputing party), the General Administrative Procedure Act makes provisions for the legal protection in case when a public authority has issued an information that the motion to initiate an administrative proceeding has been denied, as well as in case when a public authority has failed to respond to the motion within the time limit.
Key words:
non-governmental organisations, environmental protection, administrative proceeding, administrative dispute, Aarhus Convention
PRAVNI POLOŽAJ UDRUGA U POSTUPCIMA ZAŠTITE OKOLIŠA U REPUBLICI HRVATSKOJ
Udruge za zaštitu okoliša mogu značajno unaprijediti provedbu prava okoliša. Takvu važnu ulogu u zaštiti okoliša priznaje im Konvencija o pristupu informacijama, sudjelovanju javnosti u odlučivanju i pristupu pravosuđu u pitanjima okoliša koja je zaključena u Aarhusu 1998. (tzv. Arhuška konvencija). Konvencija je u odnosu na Republiku Hrvatsku stupila na snagu 25. lipnja 2007., a temeljni propis kojim je provedena u hrvatsko zakonodavstvo je Zakon o zaštiti okoliša. Arhuška konvencija jamči procesna ekološka prava (pristup informacijama, sudjelovanje u odlučivanju i pristup pravosuđu) te su za njezinu primjenu u hrvatskom pravnom sustavu od osobite važnosti i Zakon o općem upravnom postupku te Zakon o upravnim sporovima.
U radu se analizira pravni položaj udruga u postupcima zaštite okoliša koji može biti višestruk. Prvo, udruga može imati položaj stranke o čijem se pravu, obvezi ili pravnom interesu rješava u upravnom postupku (primjerice upravni postupak ostvarivanja prava na pristup informaciji o okolišu). Drugo, udruga koja djeluje na području zaštite okoliša i ispunjava sve uvjete sukladno Zakonu o zaštiti okoliša smatra se pripadnikom zainteresirane javnosti te ima pravo sudjelovati u svim postupcima zaštite okoliša u kojima je temeljem zakona predviđeno sudjelovanje javnosti i/ili zainteresirane javnosti (npr. upravni postupak procjene utjecaja zahvata na okoliš). Treće, procesna legitimacija može se priznati udruzi i u slučaju zaštite od drugih oblika postupanja tijela javne vlasti iz područja upravnog prava kojima joj je povrijeđeno pravo, obveza ili pravni interes (primjerice uskraćivanje udruzi prava na sudjelovanje u postupku donošenja plana gospodarenja otpadom). Četvrto, udruga može podnijeti obavijest ili predstavku kojom upućuje na potrebu pokretanja postupka po službenoj dužnosti radi zaštite javnog interesa (npr. obavijest inspekciji o onečišćenju okoliša). Iako se u tom postupku ne radi o njezinom pravu, obvezu niti pravnom interesu (u kojem slučaju bi imala položaj stranke), Zakon o općem upravnom postupku predviđa pravnu zaštitu protiv obavijesti tijela javne vlasti kojom se ne prihvaća prijedlog za pokretanje postupka, kao i za slučaj da udruga u propisnom roku nije primila odgovor od tijela javne vlasti.
Ključne reči:
udruge, zaštita okoliša, upravni postupak, upravni spor, Arhuška konvencija.
