Support the Appeal

International Appeal to Preserve Czech Legislation on the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, so-called Integrated Pollution Register

Dear Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, dear Prime Minister and other Ministers of the Czech Government,

We refer you to the important public rights guaranteed by your institution regarding access to information in environmental issues. So far, the Czech Republic had a good international reputation in this field. However, we have just found out that you are planning to limit public rights related to significant information such as concentrations of substances harmful for the environment and human health, released to industrial waste or to water, air and soil by specific industrial facilities that are not listed in the Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament (EP) although represent significant polluters of Czech environment.

The Czech Republic was one of the leading countries in the creation of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers Protocol. Thus, we are confused by your attempt to reduce access to information about the Integrated Pollution Register (IPR), which was effectively functioning for six years in your country. Thanks to that register, the Czech Republic—unlike some other countries—has a efficient instrument for collecting data important for controlling the implementation of international conventions regarding environmental protection, such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Above all, we are referring to the limitation of data about the contents of waste toxic substances contents and the reduction of obligations to report about the release of toxic substances from large scale polluters of the Czech Republic that are not listed in the Regulation No 166/2006 of the EP.

We are appealing to you, in the interest of the global public and environmental protection not to restrict the rights of the citizens of the Czech Republic. Please do not discontinue the availability of information about waste toxic substances and hazardous substances emission concentrations. You can thus help the Czech Republic to keep its good international reputation.

This statement was made on the 14th of September 2011

PLEASE, DO SIGN ONLY ONE PERSON PER EACH ORGANIZATION!