(A) study on transparency and the right to access environmental information in the context of international law : focusing on French law

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to investigate the transparency and right to access environmental
information within the context of French law and its interaction with international and
European legal frameworks. Recognizing the major changes brought by the industrial era,
which have significantly weakened nature's ability to recover from environmental damage,
this research addresses the growing environmental risks and the systemic measures
implemented to reduce these threats. This study uses qualitative research methods and a
broad literature review to examine French law alongside international agreements and EU
directives, reflecting France’s important role as a member of these entities. Data is collected
from authoritative sources, including academic literature, peer-reviewed journal articles,
official legal texts, government reports, and reliable online databases. A comprehensive
qualitative analysis is conducted on the collected data to identify common themes and
relevant legal principles. The findings reveal that while France has made significant notable
progress in aligning its laws with international and European standards, challenges remain in
achieving comprehensive transparency and access to environmental information.
The study highlights the importance of individual and systemic actions, such as
adopting environmental laws and ensuring public access to environmental information, for
promoting environmental sustainability. This study explores numerous cases highlighting the
challenges France faces in environmental transparency, public participation, and sustainable
development, including companies failing to disclose data, non-compliance with EU
environmental directives, inconsistent interpretations of "public environmental services,"
lack of public involvement in projects like the Marseille waste incinerator, and legal actions
against France for air pollution and other violations. Recommendations include broadening
the definition of "public environmental services," improving public participation in
environmental decision-making, ensuring EU directive compliance, enhancing data collection
on emissions, strengthening laws and enforcement, establishing standardized reporting
guidelines, and creating public platforms for environmental information, as well as innovative
solutions like Environmental Data Cooperatives and educational initiatives to empower
citizens on environmental issues. The study concludes that ongoing efforts are essential to
address remaining challenges and enhance the implementation of environmental
information rights. Future research should explore France's compliance to environmental
reporting obligations to the European Union, the compliance of public and private companies
with EU guidelines, and the balance between various international, national, and corporate
interests. These areas, however, exceed the scope of this academic study and would benefit
from investigations conducted by governmental institutions, with results shared to support
environmental protection and public health.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 프랑스 법체계의 환경 정보에 대한 투명성과 접근 권리를 살펴보고,
이 권리가 국제법 및 유럽 법률과 어떻게 조화를 이루는지 분석한다. 산업화 시대 이후
자연 회복력이 현저히 약화되면서 환경 위험이 증가하면서 이에 따른 체계적 대응이
중요해지고 있다. 본 연구는 정성적 연구 방법과 문헌 분석을 통해 국제 협정과 EU
지침을 검토하여 프랑스 법 현황을 평가하고, 프랑스가 이러한 다층적 법체계 내에서
수행하는 역할을 조명한다. 본 연구는 학술 문헌, 법률 문서, 정부에서 출간한 보고서
및 데이터베이스 등에서 자료를 수집했으며, 정성적 분석을 통해 핵심 주제와 법적
원리를 도출하였다. 연구 결과, 프랑스는 국제 및 EU 기준을 국내법에 반영하는 데
진전을 보였으나, 환경 정보의 포괄적 공개와 접근성 확보에는 여전히 과제가 남아
있는 것으로 나타났다. 환경 투명성과 공공 참여 측면에서는 기업의 정보 비공개, EU
환경 지침 미준수, '공공 환경 서비스' 개념의 모호한 해석, 마르세유 폐기물 소각장
사례에서의 공적 협의 부족, 대기 오염 등 환경 위반에 대한 법적 대응의 한계 등이
주요 문제로 확인되었다. 결론에서는 개선을 위해 '공공 환경 서비스' 정의의 명확화,
환경과 관련된 의사결정 과정에서의 공공 참여 강화, EU 지침 이행 촉진, 배출 데이터
수집 및 보고 시스템의 고도화, 법적 및 집행 체계 보완, 표준화된 공개 지침 마련, 환경
정보 플랫폼 구축, '환경 데이터 협동조합'과 같은 혁신적 제도 도입, 시민 역량 강화
교육 확대 등을 제안했다. 그리고 환경 정보 권리의 실질적 보장을 위해서는 지속적인
법제도적 개선과 정책적 노력이 필요함을 강조했다. 향후 연구에서는 프랑스의 EU
환경 보고 의무 이행 실태, 공공 및 민간 부문의 규정 준수 수준, 다양한 이해관계자
간 균형 유지 방안 등에 대한 심층 분석이 수행할 계획이다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... １
• 1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................. １
• 2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...................................................................................................... ５
• 3. HYPOTHESIS .................................................................................................................... ６
• 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................... ６
• 5. METHODS .................................................................................................................. １０
• 6. REVIEW ...................................................................................................................... １３
• 7. RESEARCH OUTLINE ...................................................................................................... １９
• II. FROM CONCEPT AND HISTORY TO THEORY: STUDYING RIGHT TO ACCESS
• ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND TRANSPARENCY ........................................... ２２
• 1. CONCEPTS ................................................................................................................... ２３
• 1.1. Environment .................................................................................................... ２３
• 1.2. Environmental Information ............................................................................. ２５
• 1.3. Transparency ................................................................................................... ２５
• 1.4. Right to Access Environmental Information ................................................... ２７
• 2. HISTORY OF THE RIGHT TO ACCESS ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ...................................... ３０
• 2.1. Pre-Industrial Era (Pre-18th Century) ............................................................. ３０
• 2.2. Industrial Era (Late 18th to Mid-20th Century) ................................................ ３２
• 2.3. Late 20th Century (Recognizing the Right to Environmental Info.) .................. ３９
• 2.4. Early Digital Age (2000s) ................................................................................. ４４
• 2.5. 2015th - Present AI. Era ................................................................................... ４８
• 3. THEORY OF THE NECESSITY OF THE RIGHT TO ACCESS ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND
• TRANSPARENCY ............................................................................................................... ５２
• 3.1. Right to Know Environmental Information Is Right to Life and Dignity .......... ５５
• 3.2. Right to Know Environmental Information Is Right to Meaningful Participation,
• Realization of Environmental Governance and Democracy ................................... ５６
• 3.3. The Theories of Monism and Dualism in Protecting the Right to Access
• Environmental Information .................................................................................... ５９
• III. ANALYZING THE RIGHT TO ACCESS ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION IN
• INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS ..................................................................... ６２
• 1. INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS EXPLICITLY ADDRESSING THE RIGHT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
• INFORMATION.. ............................................................................................................... ６３
• 1.1. Rio Declaration on the Right to Access Environmental Information ............... ６３
• 1.2. The Aarhus Convention and the Right to Access Environmental Information ６５
• 1.3. The Paris Agreement ....................................................................................... ８２
• 1.4. The Escazú Agreement .................................................................................... ９０
• 2. INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS IMPLICITLY ADDRESSING THE RIGHT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
• INFORMATION… .............................................................................................................. ９４
• 2.1.Convention on Biological Diversity .................................................................. ９４
• 2.2.Minamata Convention on Mercury .................................................................. ９７
• 2.3.United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea .......................................... ９９
• 2.4.Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes Convention ............ １０２
• 2.5.ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution ................................. １０５
• 2.6.Human Rights Conventions and Right to Access Environmental
• Information………… ............................................................................................. １０８
• IV. RIGHT TO ACCESS ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION IN THE FRENCH LEGAL
• FRAMEWORK ......................................................................................................... １１３
• 1. THE FRENCH LEGAL SYSTEM IS A HYBRID OF DUALISM AND MONISM .................................... １１３
• 1.1.French Constitution and Right to Environmental Information .................... １１４
• 1.2. French Environmental Code on Access to Environmental Information ...... １１６
• 1.3. Exceptions to the Public Access to Environmental Information ................. １１８
• 2. FRANCE’S LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ITS COMMITMENTS TO THE EU AND INTERNATIONAL LAW １２１
• 2.1.Aarhus Convention ....................................................................................... １２２
• 2.2. The Impact of the EU Directives and Regulations on the French Legal
• System…….. ........................................................................................................ １２３
• 2.3. International Human Rights Law and the Right to Access Environmental
• Information ........................................................................................................ １４１
• 2.4. Conventions on Nuclear Safety and the Right to Access Environmental
• Information ........................................................................................................ １４２
• 2.5. France's Commitments to Global Climate Agreements and the Right to Access
• Environmental Information ................................................................................ １４５
• 2.6. French Commitments to Global Biodiversity Frameworks and the Right to Access
• Environmental Information ................................................................................ １５０
• 2.7. France's Commitments to the Ramsar International Convention and the Sharing
• of Information on Wetlands ............................................................................... １５３
• 2.8.Conflicts between French Law and the EU or International Law ................. １５４
• V. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... １５７
• BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... １６３
• ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. ２０２