The Arhus Center for Information and Public Participation in the environmental field opened in Banja Luka today. It is part of the project of the Arhus Center who’s worth Is 98.000 euros.
The head of the Banja Luka Office of the EU Delegation to BiH Đulio Zani said that the EU supports nonprofit organizations, and especially those who deal with the application of the Arhus convention.
“The EU is a part of this convention and its principles are applied in its legislation. Arhus centers are especially important because they enable the access to information that is based on the protection of the environment’’, said Zani to journalists.
The Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH Fletcher Burton said that Arhus centers are open in Tuzla and in Sarajevo.
“These Arhus centers will now be part of a network of 13 Arhus centers in the region of Southeast Europe. It is very important for every country to have an Arhus center in which citizens could receive necessary information’’, said Burton.
Representative of the Center for Environment Victor Bijelić said that the Arhus Center facilitates access to information to citizens and institutions, and lends support in establishing rights to participation in bringing decisions in the area of the environment.
“Associations that deal with issues of environmental issues and local governments that have to apply the Arhus Convention will have a key role in the work of the Arhuse center’’, said Bijelić.
Project “Arhus centers for information and public participation in the area of the environment’’, which will be implemented over a period of 2 years, is financed by the EU and OSCE Mission to BIH.
(Source: Nezavisne Novine)
