This Government is committed to the effective implementation of all of its international obligations, including those under the Aarhus Convention. The UK continues to carefully consider decisions taken by the Parties to the Convention concerning the UK.

Defra works closely with the devolved governments on issues relating to the Aarhus Convention.

The UK is not required to provide a plan of action to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee. As such, no deadline has been missed. We will continue to provide updates to the Committee on relevant developments. Updates from the UK are available on the UN website here.

This Government is committed to the effective implementation of all of its international obligations, including those under the Aarhus Convention. The UK continues to carefully consider decisions taken by the Parties to the Convention concerning the UK.

Defra works closely with the devolved governments on issues relating to the Aarhus Convention.

The UK is not required to provide a plan of action to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee. As such, no deadline has been missed. We will continue to provide updates to the Committee on relevant developments. Updates from the UK are available on the UN website here.

The Government remains committed to upholding its obligations under the Aarhus Convention, including maintaining access to environmental justice that is not prohibitively expensive. We set up the Environmental Costs Protection Regime (ECPR) in 2013 to enable this, and in May 2025 we committed to a series of measures to strengthen the regime. We keep all policies under review and, importantly, judges already have the power to vary the costs caps upwards or downwards, taking into account the particular circumstances of a case.

Between September and December 2024, the Government ran a Call for Evidence on access to justice in relation to the Aarhus Convention. This Call for Evidence considered the recommendations of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee regarding whether changes are required to the ECPR. The Government intends to publish a response to this Call for Evidence in due course.

Further, the Government published its response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s Review on Friday 13 March 2026. The Government recognises the concerns raised by the Taskforce regarding delays caused by a small number of unmeritorious legal challenges against nuclear developments and other major infrastructure projects, which could jeopardise our goal of reaching net zero by 2050. That is why we have accepted the Taskforce’s proposals in recommendation 20 to adjust the costs caps.

These adjustments will be undertaken with a view to prioritising genuine legal challenges, whilst supporting the Government’s growth mission by supporting us to build the necessary infrastructure essential for energy security, economic growth, and net zero. We will therefore invite the Civil Procedure Rule Committee to adjust the ECPR with this aim in mind.

The UK recognises the important role played by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. However, we strongly disagree with the interpretation of Convention obligations which the Committee has recommended in the draft findings referred to in the question.   We look forward to working within the mechanisms of the Convention to address this issue.

The Government remains committed to the effective implementation of its international obligations and to the three pillars of the Aarhus Convention of access to environmental information, participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.

We remain committed to working with the Convention's mechanisms to ensure it functions effectively and upholds these principles.

The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.

The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.

The United Kingdom Government is committed to the effective implementation of all of its international obligations including those under the Aarhus Convention.

The Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services wrote to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on 29 May 2025, setting out the approach we plan to take over the coming years to bring England and Wales into compliance with the access to justice provisions in article 9 of the Aarhus Convention. The Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland also shared a letter with the Committee on 30 May 2025, setting out her plans for Northern Ireland to reach compliance with these provisions. Both letters can be found on the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s website.

Our approach to England and Wales was informed by the Call for Evidence we conducted between 30 September 2024 and 9 December 2024. Our full response to that Call for Evidence will be published in due course.

The United Kingdom Government is committed to the effective implementation of all of its international obligations including those under the Aarhus Convention.

The Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services wrote to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on 29 May 2025, setting out the approach we plan to take over the coming years to bring England and Wales into compliance with the access to justice provisions in article 9 of the Aarhus Convention. The Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland also shared a letter with the Committee on 30 May 2025, setting out her plans for Northern Ireland to reach compliance with these provisions. Both letters can be found on the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s website.

Our approach to England and Wales was informed by the Call for Evidence we conducted between 30 September 2024 and 9 December 2024. Our full response to that Call for Evidence will be published in due course.

The United Kingdom Government is committed to the effective implementation of its international obligations and has no plans to withdraw from the Aarhus Convention.

The UK Government is committed to the effective implementation of its international obligations.

The Government remains committed to protecting access to justice in environmental cases, while supporting the timely delivery of infrastructure projects under the Government’s Growth Mission.

The issue of cost caps relating to Judicial Review in the planning context was considered by Lord Banner in his independent review published in October 2024. He did not recommend any change to the default cost caps in Aarhus cases. Judges already have the power to vary costs caps upwards or downwards according to the particular circumstances in a case. The MoJ published a call for evidence on Lord Banner’s recommendations on 28 October 2024, alongside the publication of his report by MHCLG. The call for evidence closed on 30 December.

Some of Lord Banner’s recommendations have been taken into the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and will tighten the judicial review process to cut delays for major infrastructure projects and look to strike the right balance between improving efficiency and ensuring access to justice. The change will only allow one attempt at legal challenge, instead of three, for meritless claims and two for other claims. These changes will prevent meritless claims from holding up projects by exhausting the appeals process and will ensure legitimate legal challenges are heard promptly.

The Aarhus Convention sets out obligations on Parties to guarantee certain procedural rights for the public relating to access to environmental information, participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. The United Kingdom Government remains committed to the effective implementation of its international obligations under the Aarhus Convention, and we consulted on one aspect of this, the cost caps regime last year.

Major infrastructure projects are vital in this Government’s mission to deliver growth across the country, and we want to see them built quicker. Earlier this year we announced part of our response to Lord Banner’s report which set out our reforms to speed up the planning process while making sure people still have the opportunity to bring challenges in court.

The Government remains committed to protecting access to justice in environmental cases, while supporting the timely delivery of infrastructure projects under the Government’s Growth Mission. The issue of cost caps relating to Judicial Review in the planning context was considered by Lord Banner in his independent review published in October 2024. He did not recommend any change to the default cost caps in Aarhus cases. Judges already have the power to vary costs caps upwards or downwards according to the particular circumstances in a case.

In addition, between September and December 2024, the Government ran a Call for Evidence on access to justice in relation to the Aarhus Convention. This Call for Evidence considers the recommendations of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) regarding whether changes are required to the Environmental Costs Protection Regime (ECPR).

The Government intends to publish a response to the Call for Evidence in the coming months.

The UK Government is committed to the effective implementation of our international obligations.

The UK has been a party to the Aarhus Convention since ratification in 2005 and has long given effect to aspects of the Convention in domestic legislation. The Government has not estimated the cost of upholding its international law obligations as a Party to the Convention.

Over the past decade, the UK has been found to not be compliant with aspects of the Aarhus Convention. To ensure that the UK upholds its international law obligations, the Government is undertaking a call for evidence to gather views on the best way to bring policies concerning access to justice in line with our obligations under the Convention.

Where new policy contains provisions relevant to matters covered by the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision making and access to justice, the implications of the UK’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention are considered in the same manner as the UK’s other domestic and international legal obligations.

The UK Government is committed to the effective implementation of our international obligations.

The UK has been a party to the Aarhus Convention since ratification in 2005 and has long given effect to aspects of the Convention in domestic legislation. The Government has not estimated the cost of upholding its international law obligations as a Party to the Convention.

Over the past decade, the UK has been found to not be compliant with aspects of the Aarhus Convention. To ensure that the UK upholds its international law obligations, the Government is undertaking a call for evidence to gather views on the best way to bring policies concerning access to justice in line with our obligations under the Convention.

Where new policy contains provisions relevant to matters covered by the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision making and access to justice, the implications of the UK’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention are considered in the same manner as the UK’s other domestic and international legal obligations.

The Aarhus Convention concerns access by the public to environmental information, to participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. Defra does not issue specific guidance to local authorities on the Convention.

The Government is committed to the effective implementation of our international obligations under the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters.

The United Kingdom is not currently subject to any water industry related compliance recommendations concerning its obligations under the Convention.

Costs limits in Aarhus Convention claims are regulated by Part 46 of the Civil Procedure Rules. An ‘Aarhus Convention claim’ is defined in rule 46.24. The interpretation of rule 46.24 is the subject of an ongoing appeal before the Court of Appeal. Therefore, the Government is unable to comment on this matter at this time.

The UK Government is committed to the effective implementation of its international obligations under the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters.

The submission of the UK’s final Progress Report has been delayed to allow the new Government time to consider the recommendations in decision VII/8s, endorsed at the 2021 Meeting of the Parties.

We look forward to responding in due course.