E. Involvement of Citizens in Environmental Issues

E. Involvement of Citizens in Environmental Issues

Each of the three countries have guaranteed in their constitutions that their citizens have a right for clean environment and to get information from the state on the environment. In principle citizens get their possibility to influence on state policy in the elections and on municipal policy in municipal elections. In municipalities the local people can affect on the use of land when local plans are discussed in the municipalities' organs. The state which is the owner of almost all natural resources (in Byelorussia the state owns all natural resources, in Russia some land for agricultural, industrial, housing or recreation purposes can be sold to citizens or enterprises) prepares the general plan for using these resources and makes the classification for using natural resources (e.g. three types of forests, land for agricultural or industrial purposes). Enterprises negotiate with the terms of using land or water for their purposes with state authorities. Ordinary citizens can question issuing permissions in court only if legal procedural rules have been broken. Terms of permissions are set by governmental authorities. Ordinary citizens and NGOs can initiate an irregular inspection of state or municipal authorities when it can be suspected that the terms of licences are not followed. Citizens can also turn to the procuracy for legality inspection. In addition to these legality control systems, also the ombudsman system has been introduced.  People who have suffered damage usually have to turn to the court.

Ecological programs on the state and local level can activate also citizens and NGOs. Such programs are a traditional way for developing state administration and the legislative basis. Earlier those programs focused more on effective use of natural resources and involved experts of technology. Now at least in Russia it is required that citizens and NGOs are consulted in connection with these programs. These programs are coordinated on all the levels of state and local administration, and it might be possible to make local special circumstances known to the highest level with the help of these programs.

Getting information from state authorities may still be difficult, because of the lack of traditions to inform citizens on negative aspects of the environment, but there are no legal obstacles for getting information. Informing the people has traditionally been given for the responsibility of local authorities who may themselves not be quite well aware of all state activities. When ecological programmes and programmes for rational use of natural resources are organised well, they both show commitment of the government and authorities and give different interest groups real possibilities to influence on environmental policy.

In emphasising the citizens' rights for information and participation the riparian countries have followed the EU example. The EU has discovered in practice that participation of citizens is vitally important for environmental policy and its successful implementation and is constantly working on how to increase the involvement of citizens. Since the state owns natural resources in Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia, ecological programs do not cause serious property rights problems for citizens and may actually give more influence to environmentally active civil society organisations than in European market economies.

Next: F. Does the Polluter Pay? Costs for Using the Environment and Liability for Environmental Damage.

Previous: D. Permitting Licenses for the use of Natural Resources and the Control and Monitoring