Environmental Democracy and the Horizontality of International Law

Evangelos Raftopoulos, Professor Emeritus of International Law and International Environmental Law, Panteion University and Director, Mediterranean Programme for International Environmental Law and Negotiation, Greece

• ContentsIntroduction Evangelos RaftopoulosPART I FUNCTIONAL CONTEXTUALIZATION, ARCHITECTURE AND GOVERNANCE ENGINEERING OF THE AARHUS CONVENTION REGIME1 The emerging universality of environmental democracy Elli Louka2 Architecture and governance of the Aarhus Convention and benefits of accession Elli LoukaPART II INTERLINKAGES AND COMPLEMENTARITIES OF THE AARHUS CONVENTION REGIME WITH INTERNATIONAL STUCTURES AND PROCESSES: “BIOS THEORETIKOS” (THEORETICAL LIFE) 3 The normative function of the Aarhus Convention’s interlinkages with international structures and processes: scope, operations, and perspectives (general analysis) Evangelos Raftopoulos 4 The normative function of the Aarhus Convention’s interlinkages with international structures and processes: specific applications (focused perspectives) Evangelos Raftopoulos, Georgios Raftopoulos 5 Complementary interlinkages: attaining sustainable development goals through the implementation of the Aarhus Conventional regime Evangelos Raftopoulos PART III Participatory governance in decision-making and multilateralism in negotiating accession to the Aarhus Convention 6 Unlocking the Aarhus Convention decision-making and negotiating processes to advance participatory environmental governance Evangelos Raftopoulos 7 Negotiating creatively the accession to the Aarhus Convention Evangelos Raftopoulos 8 Recommendations and conclusions Evangelos Raftopoulos, Elli Louka Bibliography

‘Accession to the Aarhus Convention by non-UNECE States is of great significance, as the Convention has from its inception provided a legal basis for such extension. Yet the issue has remained under-explored, both in its practicalities and theoretical implications. This volume, principally authored and expertly edited by Professor Raftopoulos, addresses both aspects, focusing on States of the Mediterranean region. But it also offers a much wider perspective on participatory environmental governance - introducing an original contribution to the horizontal dimension of international law and the normative interlinking of treaties— at a time when the need for it could not be more pressing.’