Chapter 1: Austria
(continued)
CONCLUSIONS
In Austria, public participation in environmental decisionmaking and access to environmental information have been changing since Austria joined the European Union in 1995. The most important laws in these fields have been adopted to implement EU directives. Austria has no great tradition of transparency and free access to information (such as the Scandinavian countries); the authorities, the public and also NGOs had to learn how to use instruments like a formal request to get environmental information. It is typical for Austria that these instruments are not used very often, even by NGOs. Information is requested in informal ways, generally via contact persons inside the authorities and ministries. Information is often requested about parliamentarian instruments.
REC * PUBLICATIONS * DOORS TO DEMOCRACY - WESTERN EUROPE * AUSTRIA
