Prístup k spravodlivosti vo veciach životného prostredia v Slovenskej republike

The document serves as a guide for the public, NGOs, and legal professionals on how to exercise the right to environmental justice in Slovakia. It details the three pillars of environmental democracy—access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice—explaining how these are implemented through the Aarhus Convention and EU directives. The manual specifically outlines Slovak national laws, such as the Administrative Court Procedure Act, and provides practical instructions on filing lawsuits, appealing decisions, and utilizing international remedies like complaints to the European Commission.

• The Aarhus Convention establishes three pillars of environmental democracy: the right of access to information, the right to public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters.
• Under the Aarhus Convention, 'concerned public' includes NGOs that support environmental protection and meet national legal requirements, and these organizations are generally considered to have a sufficient interest to challenge decisions.
• EU law provides specific mechanisms for environmental justice through directives on public access to environmental information, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Industrial Emissions (IED), and Environmental Liability (ELD).
• In Slovakia, the Administrative Court Procedure Act (Act No. 162/2015 Z. z.) allows the 'concerned public' to file lawsuits against decisions, measures, or inactivity of public authorities if they claim a violation of the public interest in environmental protection.
• Slovak courts have the power to directly order the release of environmental information (under § 193 of the Administrative Court Procedure Act) to prevent obstructive practices by public authorities, such as 'fictitious decisions' where no response is provided.
• The 'concerned public' in Slovakia can challenge various environmental processes, including EIA decisions, integrated pollution permits (IPKZ), nature protection permits, and water management assessments, provided they have the right to participate in the administrative process.
• Legal options for the public to challenge actions of private individuals that harm the environment in Slovakia are very limited, primarily restricted to 'neighborly rights' (susedské práva) or claims for damages under the Civil Code.
• Beyond national courts, citizens can seek remedies through complaints to the European Commission regarding EU law breaches, preliminary rulings from the Court of Justice of the EU, or submissions to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.

APA

Vozár, M. I. (2019). Prístup k spravodlivosti vo veciach životného prostredia v Slovenskej republike. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/a4fjtt42/2020-01-06-pristup-k-spravodlivosti-vo-veciach-zivotneho-prostredia-v-slovenskej-republike-prakticky-manual-ext-sk.pdf

Chicago

Vozár, Mgr. Imrich. Prístup k spravodlivosti vo veciach životného prostredia v Slovenskej republike. ClientEarth, 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/a4fjtt42/2020-01-06-pristup-k-spravodlivosti-vo-veciach-zivotneho-prostredia-v-slovenskej-republike-prakticky-manual-ext-sk.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vozár |first1=Mgr. Imrich |title=Prístup k spravodlivosti vo veciach životného prostredia v Slovenskej republike |publisher=ClientEarth |date=20 December 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/a4fjtt42/2020-01-06-pristup-k-spravodlivosti-vo-veciach-zivotneho-prostredia-v-slovenskej-republike-prakticky-manual-ext-sk.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vozr2019prstup, author = {Vozár, Mgr. Imrich}, title = {{Prístup k spravodlivosti vo veciach životného prostredia v Slovenskej republike}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/a4fjtt42/2020-01-06-pristup-k-spravodlivosti-vo-veciach-zivotneho-prostredia-v-slovenskej-republike-prakticky-manual-ext-sk.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }