How Can Public Influence Zoning Plans to Protect Environment? – Case of the Czech Republic and Indirect Effect of EU Law

AUTHOR(S):

TITLE

How Can Public Influence Zoning Plans to Protect Environment? – Case of the Czech Republic and Indirect Effect of EU Law

PDF

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to introduce legal possibilities of associations in the Czech Republic to influence adoption of zoning plans and to use legal remedies against the already adopted zoning plans. Czech courts did not allow associations to file actions against zoning plans till recent shift in the case law of the Constitutional Court. The paper analyses the reasons for this shift and finds a significant influence of EU law. Further, the paper seeks conditions laid down by recent case law of administrative courts, under which associations and representative of the public are entitled to lodge actions to repeal the zoning plan or part thereof. It aims to define further conditions. Positive effect of international law, namely the Aarhus Convention, enhancing change in the interpretation of Czech legal acts was found. It can be summoned that the position of associations, which promote environmental protection in the Czech Republic, is comparable to European standards.

KEYWORDS

Zoning plan, Aarhus Convention, associations, administrative action, representative of the public, indirect effect

REFERENCES

[1] BAHÝLOVÁ, L., Case Law of the Supreme Administrative Court: Generally Binding Measures (second time) (in Czech: Judikatura Nejvyššího správního soudu: Opatření obecné povahy (podruhé).) Judicial Perspectives (in Czech: Soudní rozhledy), Vol. 2011, No.7, 2011, pp. 237 – 242. [1] BAHÝLOVÁ, L., Case Law of the Supreme Administrative Court: Generally Binding Measures (second time) (in Czech: Judikatura Nejvyššího správního soudu: Opatření obecné povahy (podruhé).) Judicial Perspectives (in Czech: Soudní rozhledy), Vol. 2011, No.7, 2011, pp. 237 – 242.

[2] HENDRYCH, D. a kol., Administrative Law. General Part. 8th edition. (in Czech: Správní právo. Obecná část, 8. Vydání.) Praha: C.H.Beck. 2012.

[3] JANDEROVÁ, J.: Zoning Plans and Administrative Courts. (in Czech: Územní plány a správní soudy.) Administrative law (in Czech: Správní právo) Vol. XVVII, No. 5, 2014. pp. 296 - 324.

[4] JANDEROVÁ, J.: Legal defects in the Procedure of Zoning Plans Issuing. (in Czech: Vady v procesu územního plánování.), Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference in Region in the Development of Society (in Czech: Sborník příspěvků z mezinárodní vědecké konference Region v rozvoji společnosti). 2014, pp. 341 – 349.

[5] JEMELKA, L. and col.: Code of Administrative procedure: Commentary. 3rd edition. (in Czech: Správní řád: komentář. 3. vydání.) Praha: C. H. Beck, 2011. p. 690.

[6] KŔÍŽ, R. and col.: Sustainable Development and Administrative Authorities. (in Czech: Udržitelný rozvoj a veřejná správa). Žilina: GEORG - Juraj Štefún, 2013.

[7] SLÁDEČEK V.: General Administrative Law. (in Czech: Obecné správní právo). Praha: Wolters Kluwer ČR, 2013, p. 175.

[8] ZÁHUMENSKÁ, L., HUMLÍČKOVÁ, P.: Selected questions of locus standi in the judicial review of the zoning documentation. Administrative law (in Czech: Správní právo) Vol. XVVIII, No. 1-2, 2015, pp. 42 - 59.

[9] Decision of the Constitutional Court ref. no. I. ÚS 59/14 dated 30th May. 2014, available at http://nalus.usoud.cz.

[10] Decision of the Constitutional Court ref. no. III. ÚS 1669/11 dated 7th May 2013, available at http://nalus.usoud.cz.

[11] Decision of the Supreme Administrative Court ref. no.1 Ao 1/2005 dated 27th September 2005, available at www.nssoud.cz.

[12] Decision of the Supreme Administrative Court ref. no.4 As 217/2015 dated 24th May 2016, available at www.nssoud.cz.

[13] Decision of the extended panel of the Supreme Administrative Court ref. no. 1 Ao 1/2009 – 120 dated 21st July 2009, available at www.nssoud.cz.

[14] Decision of the extended panel of the Supreme Administrative Court ref. no. 4 As 217/2015- 182 dated 29th May 2016, available at www.nssoud.cz.

Cite this paper

Jana Janderová, Solomon Gyamfi. (2016) How Can Public Influence Zoning Plans to Protect Environment? – Case of the Czech Republic and Indirect Effect of EU Law. International Journal of Environmental Science, 1, 326-333