This Model Law ensures the right to receive reliable, prompt, timely and complete information on the state of the environment and natural resources from state authorities and administrative bodies and legal entities subordinate to them. Environmental information shall be intended any information about the state of water, atmosphere, soil, living organisms and ecosystems and their changes, about activities, factors and measures that have or may have an impact on them, as well as about planned or ongoing activities related to the use of natural resources and their consequences for the environment, including data necessary for assessing these consequences for the environment and the population, as well as measures aimed at protecting and rationally using the environment. Environmental information may be expressed in any objective form. Access to environmental information is an inalienable and unconditional right of subjects of the right to environmental information, regardless of the statute of limitations in relation to the facts that serve as the basis for obtaining the required information. Environmental information is divided into publicly available and special. Publicly available environmental information is all environmental information, with the exception of that classified as special environmental information. Provision of environmental information may be carried out both on a one-time basis and on the basis of long-term agreements in the form established by the government. The State guarantees the right to access, receive and disseminate environmental information to all subjects of the right to environmental information. Publicly available environmental information is communicated to citizens by government authorities and administrative bodies (within the limits of their competence) regularly through the media.
1997-12-06