RP
SAN GIUSTINO (Perugia) – The E78 issue reaches all the way to Europe. During the session of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, which took place in Geneva last week, the hypothesis of violation by the State of the agreements in the planning of the project relating to the opening of the Guinza tunnel and the E78.
After having listened to both the arguments of Voci dalla Valle and those of the Italian State, presented by the Ministry of the Environment, the Compliance Committee decided that, for the moment, it considers Voci dalla Valle’s appeal valid, i.e. that the project could have breached the Aarhus Convention regarding citizen participation and access to information. As it should be remembered, this convention is an international treaty signed by 47 countries, including Italy, which «guarantees the public’s right to access information, participate in the decision-making process and access justice in environmental matters». The Voci della Valle committee rejoices: «Now it is the Italian State that must provide a detailed justification to the Committee, demonstrating how this project respects the Convention. Meanwhile, new phases of the project are advancing, once again without adequate participation of the affected population. We hope that Anas reacts to this signal from Geneva and reconsiders the project, respecting the right of public participation and protecting the environment of our community.”
