Professional staff of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection in Serbia strengthened their knowledge and practical understanding of European standards on access to information and environmental protection during a specialised capacity-building activity held in Kopaonik from 1 to 3 September. The session focused on how access to environmental information can support public participation, protect the public interest and strengthen accountability.

Access to timely and reliable information is essential for protecting the environment, enabling meaningful public participation and holding public authorities accountable. European human rights standards increasingly recognise the importance of access to environmental information, particularly where environmental risks may affect individuals, communities and the wider public interest.

Participants explored the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No. 205, Tromsø Convention), the UN Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Through landmark cases including Guerra and Others v. Italy, Tătar v. Romania and Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, participants examined issues such as environmental risks, access to essential information, public participation and the obligations of public authorities. The session also enabled participants to understand the protection of the public interest in national jurisprudence and the balancing of access to official information with other legitimate interests.

The training was organised by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression, through the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Serbia (PROFREX)”, which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.”