TEGHOUT DEPOSIT HAS BECOME REASON FOR APPEAL TO SECRETARIAT OF AARHUS CONVENTION SECRETARIAT

ArmInfo
2009-09-23 12:42:00

ArmInfo. A number of public organizations have applied to the
Secretariat of Aarhus Convention regarding exploitation of Teghout
deposit.

As Ecolur PO reports, "Transparency International – Anticorruption
Center", "EcoDar" and "Helsinki Civil Assembly Office in Vanadzor"
NGOs in their appeal pay attention to non-observance of the two main
principles of the Aarhus Convention in Armenia: public participation
in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. To
recall, these organizations twice applied to the Administrative Court
of RA: first time with a lawsuit to recognize illegal the following
documents: two positive expert opinions of the State Environmental
Expert Commission of the Ministry of Nature Protection of RA, the
government decision on the exploitation of Teghout deposit, as well
as licenses issued to Armenian Copper Program (ACP) permitting the
exploitation of Teghout deposit, second time with an appeal for the
dismissal to deal with this lawsuit. The Administrative Court refused
the examination of both lawsuits.

The letter addressed to the Secretariat points out the violations of
the main provisions of the Aarhus Convention, which Armenia ratified
in May 2001. The Aarhus Convention is an effective instrument for
implementing democratic principles in the environmental sphere.

Thus, the letter points out that "the decisions and actions of the
state bodies in regard to the exploitation of Teghout deposit violate
Paragraph 2, Article 6 (about ensuring public participation in the
initial stages), Paragraph 4, Article 6 (ensuring effective public
participation), Paragraph 8, Article 6 (the decisions shall reflect
the results of public participation), and Paragraph 9, Article 6
(public shall immediately informed about the decisions adopted)". The
dismissal of the lawsuits by the Administration is a direct violation
of the third section of the Aarhus Convention – access to justice.