Guide for Online Participation Portals in
Compliance with the Aarhus Convention
Online Portals
Aarhus Digital provides an overview of good practices for the design of online participation portals. There are online participation portals for civil society at both national and regional level. They are supposed to bundle all information on specific participation procedures (e.g. environmental impact assessments) or provide general information on participation opportunities in a region. In some cases, it is possible to interact directly in the portal, e.g. to send comments or take part in surveys.
Country Case Studies
There are already examples of good practice in many countries that provide useful tools for the implementation of online participation portals and, in particular, portals for environmental impact assessments (EIA portals).
Tell us about your examples
Contact us if you know of other examples of good practice in digital public participation! We look forward to sharing! Contact via: aarhus-strong-project@ufu.de
Background information on online participation
Effective public participation in environmental matters is a key component of sound planning and permitting decisions and strengthens democratic participation. Digital tools can play a key role in simplifying formal participation procedures and making them more accessible. This reduces conflict and speeds up permitting decisions.
About the project
Digitisation offers a wide range of opportunities and new potential for public participation. At the same time, it raises questions and challenges: How can information and participation opportunities be transferred to the digital space? What needs to be considered when implementing digital participation portals? What are good practices for digital participation platforms?
This is where the website www.aarhus-digital.de comes in. It provides background information and practical tips on planning and implementing digital participation portals as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. Taken together, the various components of the website form the “Aarhus-Digital” practical guide to implementing good EIA portals.
The Aarhus-Digital practical guide clearly summarises the project’s results from theory and practice in the form of a website. The result is a comprehensive guide that highlights the various aspects of an EIA portal that need to be considered during planning and implementation. Good practice examples from European and non-European countries form the core of the website. The focus is on the implementation of EIA portals. However, recommendations and tips for online consultations are also provided.
The guide is aimed in particular at national environmental authorities in EU Member States that implement and operate EIA portals. It also serves as an overview of the possibilities of digital EIA portals for the interested public. Authorities can use the guide to obtain specific information on the Aarhus Convention’s recommendations for digital public participation. Authorities can also draw inspiration from good practice examples from different countries, including non-European countries.
The Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU) e.V. has been working for years to maintain and improve public participation and its sustainability. In the practice-oriented Aarhus-Strong project, UfU has joined forces with various European partner organisations to implement digital EIA portals. The project partners are PIC – Legal Centre for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (Slovenia), the Estonian Environmental Law Centre (Estonia), the Environmental Management and Law Association (Hungary) and the International Institute for Law and the Environment (Spain). All project partners and UfU are member organisations of the European environmental law organisation Justice & Environment.
More about the project
Good-Practice vs. Best-Practice examples
We deliberately refer to the practical examples on this website as good practices rather than best practices because, although many examples represent good solutions and can contribute to better EIA portals, none of the EIA portals examined really represent the ‘perfect EIA portal’. There is still room for improvement in many areas.
Aarhus-Strong project
The aim of the Aarhus Strong project is to strengthen the digital participation practices of the environmental authorities of the EU Member States.
Country reports
Together with partners from Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Spain, UfU has investigated the status of digital public participation in environmental issues in five EU Member States and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines the different uses of digital public participation in relation to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) across the EU. It shows that there is no common understanding of how to regulate and use digital tools to encourage and facilitate public participation. However, this comparative approach can encourage Member State authorities to adopt best practices from the countries presented and to learn from existing shortcomings.
