Jonas Rüffer

The Kick-Off workshop for the “European Innovation Lab” took place on Friday, 20th of May 2022. Over the next three months, the participants of the contest will develop their designs for a modern participation platform for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The European Innovation Lab is a competition for young people who use their technical and digital expertise to make participation more citizen-friendly. The contest is based on the “digital formal public participation in environmental matters in the European Union”. When large infrastructure projects (motorway, power plant, factory etc.) are planned in an EU member state, a so-called Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is usually required. In other words, the project is examined for its effects on the environment, humans and animals. The EIA thus serves as an instrument of environmental precaution. EU citizens have the right to inspect the results of the EIA and, under certain criteria, to raise objections and even to take legal action against the project.

However, these rights can only be exercised if access to this information is made easy and barrier-free. The COVID-19 crisis is not the only reason why it is important that citizens can easily access information on an EIA digitally. Unfortunately, this is currently not the case: the different portals of the EU countries are not uniformly designed, difficult to find and some portals are only available in the national language.

In order to further develop these portals and to improve the quality of citizen participation, UfU has integrated a competition for so-called “young professionals” from all EU member states into its project “Strengthening electronic participation rights in environmental protection in the European Union – at the same time further developing digital participation within the Aarhus Convention and the European Public Participation Directive (Aarhus-Strong)”. The task of the participants is to develop ideas for the design of a platform that meets the requirements and objectives of modern digital public participation.

The Kick-Off Workshop

In the Kick-Off workshop, the participants were introduced to the topic with exciting presentations and had the opportunity to develop an awareness of the problem and exchange their initial ideas with the help of design thinking methods. Elisa Lironi, Programme Director at the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) gave a presentation on the potential and challenges of digital democracy in Europe. Louisa Hantsche, Project Manager at UfU e. V., introduced the participants to the legal framework and requirements for EIA portals and public participation, and Robert Bjarnason, President and co-founder of the Citizens Foundation in Iceland, shared his knowledge on the opportunities and challenges of designing digital participation platforms.

The participants now have until 31st of August 2022 to develop their own concepts for a digital participation platform. A jury of experts will select the winning concept. At the second workshop on 16th of September 2022, the participants will have the opportunity to present their concept to an interdisciplinary audience of experts. The highlight of the event will be the award ceremony.

The European Innovation Lab is a contest for young professionals from EU member states, to develop participation portals of the future. It is part of the Aarhus strong project, funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. 

Digital Public Participation is a vital element of modern democracy. Especially when it comes to infrastructural projects such as power plants, factories or railway networks, the whole society is affected. Therefore, EU law provides for a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), where everyone can contribute their needs and expertise.Authorities are therefore obliged to publish the information on the planned projects and offer online EIA portals.

With the ongoing COVID-19-crisis the essential importance of an effective and efficient design of digital processes is more evident than ever. Existing processes need to be rethought and translated into the digital age. Yet the implementation of EIA portals in the EU could not be more fragmented, which often leads to frustration.

As the design of such a digital participation platform requires a more complex and interdisciplinary approach, the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues invites young professionals from member states of the European Union to take part in its European Innovation Lab to design a platform that meets the demands and goals of modern digital public participation.

Participants will be able to broaden their knowledge and networks while presenting ideas for tomorrow’s portals to an audience of renowned experts and decision makers. The best concepts will be awarded: 1^st Prize – 1250 €, 2nd Prize – 1000 €, 3rd Prize – 750 €.

Programme

Phase 1: Kick-off-workshop – 20th of May 2022 (online)

The participants will be introduced to digital public participation in the European Union and especially dive into the legal basis and requirements of EIA platforms. The practicability and design of existing websites will be discussed. You will get to know other participants and have the chance to form alliances for the competition.

Phase 2: The Contest Deadline – 31st of August 2022 (online)

After being equipped with the essentials, you now have four months to develop your own concepts for a digital participation platform. The goal is to design a platform that is compatible with the EU guidelines. However, it is up to you to decide on how you would like to create and implement your ideas. Out of all submissions, a jury of internationally known experts will select three finalists.

Phase 3: The Second Workshop – 16th of September 2022 (online)

In the final workshop, all participants come together with an interdisciplinary expert audience to share their experiences and knowledge. Highlight of the event will be the award ceremony. The three finalists have the opportunity to present and discuss their designs before the final winner is announced.

Admission requirements

Participation is open to young professionals (ideally between 25-35 years of age) who are studying or residing in one of the 27 EU member states. Participants are expected to have experience in relevant disciplines such as web design, graphic design, communicative design, sociology, administrative law, environmental planning, urban development or spacial planning. Participants with expertise in related fields who feel motivated to participate are welcome to register as well.

All Participants will be given a confirmation of participation. Registration is possible until 16.05.2022.
Please submit your registration via the formular below.
For questions you can write an email to aarhus-strong-project@ufu.de

UfU_Stellungnahme_Ukraine (PDF)
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Solidarity with Ukraine!

The Independent Institute for Environmental Issues – UfU e.V. stands in solidarity behind Ukraine and our project partners there. We strongly condemn the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine!

As a peaceful environmental organisation, it has always been clear to us that differences can only be resolved through dialogue. However great the differences may be, those who act in the spirit of peace, justice and a good future fundamentally reject any form of violence.

We strongly condemn the war of aggression waged by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine and stand in solidarity with our partners in Ukraine. Together with great civil society organisations and the people working and living there, we have achieved a lot in recent years. Together we have worked to improve water management in the Ternopil and Odessa regions and worked with our partners to improve civil society participation in environmental and climate policy issues. The intercultural exchange and the common will to work for a good and sustainable future has enriched us greatly. We are deeply shocked to learn that these people, with whom we have much in common, are now in danger.

We call on Wladimir Putin to end his war against Ukraine immediately and to take the path of peaceful communication. As an institute with its roots in the former GDR, many of our members and founders know the long-term consequences of war and destruction on civil society and the environment. There must be no new war in Europe!

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Solidarität mit der Ukraine!

Das Unabhängigen Institut für Umweltfragen – UfU e.V. steht solidarisch hinter der Ukraine und unseren dortigen Projektpartner*innen. Wir verurteilen den Angriffskrieg von Russland gegen die Ukraine aufs Schärfste!

Als friedliche Umweltorganisation steht für uns schon immer fest: Differenzen lassen sich nur mit Dialogen lösen. So groß die Gräben auch sein mögen, wer im Sinne von Frieden, Gerechtigkeit und einer guten Zukunft handelt, lehnt jede Form von Gewalt grundsätzlich ab.

Wir verurteilen den Angriffskrieg, den Wladimir Putin gegen die Ukraine führt aufs Schärfste und stehen solidarisch hinter unseren Partner*innen in der Ukraine. Gemeinsam mit großartigen zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen und den dort arbeitenden und lebenden Menschen haben wir in den letzten Jahren viel bewegt. Gemeinsam haben wir zur Verbesserung des Wassermanagements in den Regionen Ternopil und Odessa zusammengearbeitet und uns mit unseren Partner*innen dafür eingesetzt, dass die Beteiligung der Zivilgesellschaft an umwelt- und klimapolitischen Fragestellungen verbessert wird. Der interkulturelle Austausch und der gemeinsame Wille, für eine gute und nachhaltige Zukunft zu arbeiten, hat uns dabei stark bereichert. Es erschüttert uns zutiefst, erfahren zu müssen, dass diese Menschen, mit denen uns viel verbindet, jetzt in Gefahr sind.

Wir fordern Wladimir Putin auf, seinen Krieg gegen die Ukraine umgehend zu beenden und den Weg der friedlichen Kommunikation einzuschlagen. Als Institut, dass in der ehemaligen DDR seine Wurzeln hat, wissen viele unserer Mitglieder und Gründer, welche langzeitigen Folgen Kriege und Zerstörung auf die Zivilgesellschaft und auf die Umwelt haben. Es darf keinen neuen Krieg in Europa geben!

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UfU Paper 01/2021 on participation processes for climate policy-making

UfU Paper highlights strengths and weaknesses of processes for civil society participation in climate policy-making in nine countries

As part of the ZIVIKLI project, UfU published the study Civic space for participation in climate policies in Colombia, Georgia and Ukraine in late 2020. This study also included a chapter on “good practice” examples for participatory processes to involve civil society in climate policy-making at the national level.

After the publication of the study, questions were raised in related discussions and events with representatives of climate-driven civil society asking about identified shortcomings in the evaluated participation processes. These results of the ZIVIKLI research have not yet been published due to the focus on good practice aspects in the above-mentioned chapter.

With UfU Paper 1/2021 Building civic space for people-centered climate action? Opportunities and limitations of civil society participation in climate policy-making in nine countries, the authors broadened the analysis’ scope and present the results of their extensive research. Thus, the UfU Paper 1/2021 highlights both, the strengths and weaknesses of each of the participation processes examined, and provides initial suggestions for improving the weaker aspects.

As in the previous projects in 2019 and 2020, UfU is again supporting local small-scale projects in Central Vietnam for raising awareness among different population groups about local climate change issues and more climate-friendly options for action, as well as for capacity building of youth for more climate action. With funding from the German Federal Foreign Office’s Climate Fund and in cooperation with the Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research (MISR), UfU enables talented and young Vietnamese to develop their own project ideas and implement them locally.

At the beginning of the year, young people from Central Vietnam were able to apply with their own project ideas to the ideas competition of UfU and MISR. Of all the applications, the four best project ideas were selected for funding and subsequent implementation.

This year, the following small projects were selected:

• Raising awareness about climate change through a school garden. A demonstration project at Hoa Phuoc Primary School, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City. Project development and implementation by students Kieu Thi Phuong, Phan Minh Luu An, Van Thi Thao Vy, Bui Van Quoc Trung and Tran Quang Huy.
• Raising public awareness of the carbon storage capacity of seagrass beds to mitigate climate change and minimize activities that lead to degradation of the seagrass ecosystem in Lang Co Lagoon, Thua Thien Hue Province. Project development and implementation by students Nguyen Huu Chi Tu and Nguyen Tu Uyen.
• Establish a climate change prevention and adaptation club in An Dong district, Hue city. Project development and implementation by young teachers Le Thi Thanh Nhan and Tran Thi Ngoc Cam of Hue Medical College.
• Increasing the rate of native tree species and a production forest in Cam Nghia village, Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province. Project development and implementation by Nguyen Van Ky Truong, Nguyen Xuan Tam and To Minh Hanh.

The overall project and the start of the four small projects were officially started with a kick-off workshop on September 26. Among the 25 participants were, besides the project teams, the mentors of some teams, some project winners from the last years and other interested young people. In a friendly and productive atmosphere, UfU gave an introduction to project management. Afterwards the challenges and plans of all projects and solutions and suggestions for improvement were discussed together. Until the end of February 2022, the small projects will now be implemented and accompanied under the support of UfU and MISR.

Nomination of Prof. Dr. Thomas Schomerus to serve the Aarhus Committee of the United Nations by a strong alliance of European environmental NGOs

We congratulate a long-standing UfU partner and co-author to his nomination to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC). On 22. July 2021 the Austrian OEKOBUERO – Alliance of the Environmental Movement, the German Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU) e.V., the European Network Justice & Environment, the Ukrainian Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment” and the European Environmental Bureau, acting on the behalf of the European ECO Forum, have nominated Mr. Schomerus. The NGO candidate might be elected at the next Meeting of the of the Parties of the Aarhus Convention in October 2021.

Non-governmental organisations can – next to Parties and Signatories to the Aarhus Convention – nominate persons with recognised (legal) competence in Aarhus topics and of high moral character to serve the ACCC. For the first time since 2002 where the Compliance Committee was established, a German Committee member could be elected by its 47 Parties at the Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention (MoP 7). The UfU would strongly welcome the first German ACCC membership by Mr. Thomas Schomerus due to his widely appreciated acknowledged legal competence in Aarhus topics and his high moral character.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (GTU Tiflis) Thomas Schomerus has been a civil servant (Regierungsrat, Oberregierungsrat) for eight years of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. He conducted permitting procedures, including public participation procedures with oral hearings. He has valuable practical experience in the application and enforcement of environmental law. During this time, he also represented the City of Hamburg in the Federal Council (Bundesrat). The German Bundesrat is a legislative body that represents the sixteen federated states (Bundesländer) of Germany. Through the Bundesrat, the Bundesländer participate in the legislation and administration of the Federal Republic and in matters of the European Union.

In addition, he has served as a much-respected administrative law judge at the Higher Administration Court (Oberverwaltungsgericht) of Lower Saxony in Lüneburg (7th Senate). In this role, he was entrusted with complex approval procedures and gained a broad overview of German and European jurisprudence in the infrastructure sector.

Moreover, Mr. Schomerus is an award-winning University Professor of Public Law, in particular Environmental and Energy Law, of the Leuphana University Lüneburg in northern Germany. He has not only published over 300 books, articles and commentaries (including on the Environmental Information Act) and worked on numerous research projects, the also shared his practical and scientific expertise at Task Force and Working Group meetings of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention.

Most recently, UfU had the honour to prepare a first comprehensive study together with Mr. Schomerus evaluating the Federal Environmental Information Act for the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA). UfU is an independent and application-oriented research institute in eastern Germany with several Aarhus-related research projects. UfU highly appreciates Mr. Schomerus’ strong practical approach in applying environmental law. Mr. Schomerus is not only distinguished by his fruitful collaboration with the UfU, but also by his voluntary commitment to the German Society for Environmental Law (Gesellschaft für Umweltrecht, GfU) and Friends of the Earth Germany (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland, BUND).

Mr. Schomerus’ work area is not limited to Germany. He has carried out numerous international projects in a wide range of countries within the UNECE region, inter alia Russia, the United Kingdom, United States of America, as well as European Union countries. He has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Tbilisi (Georgia). He is part of an international network with work activities in China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, and Taiwan.

To conclude, Mr. Schomerus is an outstanding legal expert highly respected by civil society actors, practitioners and governmental agencies of Germany and beyond. His work and contributions has been most appreciated by UfU, in his practical work for the City of Hamburg, the Higher Administration Court of Lower Saxony, the Federal Council (Bundesrat) as well his scholar work at international meetings to the Aarhus Convention and at the Leuphana University Lüneburg. Mr. Schomerus impresses greatly with his diligent work ethic and dedication. He comports himself with integrity at all times. Therefore, UfU is deeply convinced that Mr. Schomerus will contribute with his excellent legal, practical and scientific expertise to the invaluable work of the Compliance Committee.

The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC), which reviews the compliance with the Aarhus Convention by state parties, is in many cases the last chance of environmental associations and environmentally-concerned individuals to review compliance with environmental law beyond their national jurisdiction. They can turn to the ACCC with an individual communication, which can be seen as modelled by various individual human rights complaints.

The Aarhus Convention is a multilateral environmental agreement which promotes environmental democracy within the UNECE region. The Aarhus Convention grants the public and environmental NGOs rights regarding access to environmental information, public participation and access to justice, in governmental decision-making processes on environmental matters.

Register here if you want to join the digital Fifth Aarhus Workshop on Human Rights, European and National Climate Laws and the Importance of the Aarhus Convention on 7. September 2020 before the MoP 7.

To find out more about projects promoting environmental democracy by the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues click here.

UfU has moved. The address remains the same, but we are now in new, even larger offices in the House of Democracy and Human Rights. For UfU, this move is also an investment in the future in times of Corona and home office. We are growing steadily and we believe that the trend towards home office will continue after the pandemic. Nevertheless we would like to give our staff the opportunity to work in an office in the future as well.

The UfU is now located in the middle and back building on the fourth floor, thus also reuniting two previously separate parts of the Institute.

Some of us are still unpacking the boxes, but we are already looking forward to visitors to the Institute.