Public participation in the context of MPAs : an analysis of MPAs websites in the light of the Aarhus Convention standards

The objective of the presentation is to analyze a draft questionnaire intended to investigate public information and participation in the context of MPAs in the light of international standards provided for by the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (UNECE, 1998). The present survey consists of a desktop review exercise, focusing on MPAs websites, in European and contiguous seas. The rationale behind the approachof the questionnaire is related to the role that the Aarhus convention has gained at international level, being recognized as a benchmark for environmental good governance at the global level, and the fact that the Convention provisions represent a legal minimum standard for public participation in environmental matters in the EU. Also, recommendations on a more effective use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to provide public access to environmental information and promote public participation (e.g. ECE/MP.PP/2005/2/Add.4) makes it interesting to look at MPA websites. The aim is to collect information from a number of case studies for each participating country, including different kinds of MPAs in each country (Habitat sites, UNESCO sites, OSPAR sites, SPAMI, MPAs regulated by national legislation only, etc.), in order to analyze how individual MPAs disclose information and involve the public through their websites. In brief, the objective is to analyze how individual MPAs are in line with the Aarhus Convention standards and the role they play in implementing a transparent and participatory approach in the field of nature conservation.