The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention (the ‘Meeting of the Parties’) concerning compliance by the Union with its obligations under the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (the ‘Aarhus Convention’) in relation to access to justice in environmental matters regarding final State aid decisions, as addressed in communication ACCC/C/2015/128, shall be to approve the adoption of draft decision VIII/8e as well as to welcome the report submitted by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (the ‘Compliance Committee’) on request ACCC/M/2021/4 of the Meeting of the Parties concerning compliance by the Union.
The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties concerning compliance by the Union with its obligations under the Aarhus Convention in relation to National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Directive 2010/75/EU, as addressed in communications ACCC/C/2010/54, ACCC/C/2013/96 and ACCC/C/2014/121, respectively, and in decision VII/8f, shall be to approve the adoption of draft decision VIII/8e, if the following points are reflected in that draft decision:
(a)
in relation to NECPs, decision VIII/8e acknowledges and welcomes that the Union has made significant progress to ensure compliance with the Compliance Committee’s findings and recommendations on communication ACCC/C/2010/54 in relation to Article 6(4) and Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention, and that the Union has complied with part of those findings as regards adoption of instructions for the purposes of point (a), paragraph 2 of decision VII/8f; and
(b)
in relation to PCIs, decision VIII/8e recognises the improvements made by the Union, through practical arrangements, to fulfil the requirements of points (a) and (b), paragraph 8 of decision VII/8f and to comply with Article 3(9), Article 6(8) and Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention.
Minor changes to the positions referred to in Articles 1 and 2 may be agreed upon by representatives of the Union, in consultation with the Member States, during on-the-spot coordination meetings, without a further decision of the Council.
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
