This study provides a suitable general model for legislation and administrative practice relating to the publication of information on the environment online which would secure the public quick and easy access to all the important environmental information in a particular state. We are particularly focused on the information concerning decision-making procedures conducted by administrative authorities in which the public may take part.
The legislation relating to the publication of environmental information on the Internet (online) should be based on two legal instruments:
- first, on the official notice board, which, in principle, should be established by every administrative (public) authority and which should also have – apart from its material form – an electronic form, i.e. a special section on the website of the administrative (public) authority;
- second, on publicly accessible information systems (electronic databases) which are maintained and operated by the competent administrative (public) authorities on their websites (online). Thus, all the necessary environmental information, according to particular branches or field (or elements of the environment), may be collected, clearly arranged, and made available to the public.
Moreover, the fundamental legal basis (framework) for both the publication of the environmental information and the provision of such information, in general, shall be represented by an Access to Information Act (law). In principle, such an act (law) may take the form of either one (general) act on free access to information or two acts, i.e. a (general) free Access to Information Act and a (special) act on the right of the public to environmental information.
