NGOs appeal to the Members of the Parliament of the Czech Republic in the interest of the global public and environmental protection, not to limit public rights on information about the releases and transfers of chemical substances harmful for the environment and human health from specific industrial facilities in PRTR (= Pollutant Release and Transfer Register).
Dear Members of the Parliament of the Czech Republic,
We refer you to the important public rights guaranteed by the Constitution of your country regarding access to information on the environment. So far, the Czech Republic had a good international reputation in this field. However, we have just found out that you are planning to limit public rights related to significant information such as releases and transfers of chemical substances harmful for the environment and human health from specific industrial facilities. We have been informed about this problem during international meetings and via information exchange by the NGO members from your country.
The Czech Republic was one of the leading countries in the negotiations about the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers Protocol, in accordance to Aarhus convention (Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, which entered into force in the Czech Republic in 2004). Thus, we are confused by your attempt to reduce access to information about the Integrated Pollution Register (IRZ), which was effectively functioning for two years in your country. Thanks to that register, the Czech Republic--unlike some other countries--has an efficient instrument for collecting data important for control of the implementation of international conventions regarding environmental protection, such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).Within the implementation frame of this international convention, the Czech Republic, among other points, committed itself to the further development of IRZ, rather than its restriction which is planned by the new law. Above all, we are referring to the limitation of data about the contents of toxic substances in waste and the reduction of obligations to report about the releases of toxic substances from all types of industrial operations and processes.
We are appealing to you, in the interest of the global public and environmental protection,. not to restrict the rights of the citizens of Czech Republic. Please do not discontinue the availability of information about toxic substances in waste and releases of harmful chemical substances in air and water. You can thus help the Czech Republic to keep its good international reputation.
This statement was made on the 8th of March 2007
This statement was signed by the following organisations and experts:
