SPAIN | Successful workshop on good environmental governance held in the Basque Country

An international workshop on “Good Environmental Governance” was hosted by the Ombudsman of the Basque Country (Ararteko), Manuel Lezertua, and held in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, this week. The workshop, which brought Ombudsman from all over Europe together to discuss the importance of environmental sustainability, was partly funded by the IOI’s regional subsidies program. 

In several working sessions Ombudsman from all over Europe discussed relevant topics such as the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental right, the role of Ombudsman institutions in facing current challenges such as pollution control or climate change and in enforcing the principles of good environmental governance.

In a speech delivered to the workshop, IOI President Peter Tyndall shared some of his own experiences dealing with environmental issues. He went on to stress the important role an Ombudsman can play in resolving environmental matters.

Each topic was illustrated by practical examples and case studies on a variety of topics such as the Chancellor of Justice of Estonia, Ms Ülle Madise, who spoke about the conflict protectionists of eagles and fish face with forest owners and watermill operators in her country. The Ombudsman of Andalucía reported on the case of a gas pipeline project, and Scottish Ombudsman Rosemary Agnew talked about the importance environmental decision making has for Scotland’s economy, but also identity.

In one of the working groups a special focus was put on the Aarhus Convention and the role Ombudsman institutions play in the environmental decision making process. The Aarhus Convention was adopted by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 1998. It is an environmental agreement on access to information, public participation in decision-making processes and access to justice in environmental matters. Within this working group IOI Secretary General Günther Kräuter presented a case from the Austrian Ombudsman institution about bee mortality and the possible link to the agricultural use of pesticides containing neonicotinoids.

 As a result of the discussions, the IOI will seek a closer cooperation with the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC), a committee established to review compliance with and effective implementation of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention.