Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Croatia

Environmental protection is often achieved through participation in administrative procedures by the interested public in the form of interested parties. Such parties are able to participate in administrative procedures through which, for example, building permits and environmental permits are issued. In this manner, the public is able to challenge administrative decisions in front of first-instance and second-instance bodies in administrative procedure, and, subsequently, in administrative disputes in front of competent administrative courts. However, in many sector laws this opportunity is being bypassed by narrowing the possibility to participate in administrative procedure. Croatia is also a party to the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees the possibility of the public concerned (having only factual interest to prove) to participate in administrative procedures regarding administrative matters. Furthermore, the possibility to partake in spatial planning will also be analyzed in this paper, as spatial planning has a huge impact on the environment. Therefore, this paper will analyze the opportunities and challenges for public participation and access to justice in environmental matters in Croatia