Environmental Public Advocacy Center

Environmental public advocacy center (EPAC) has been established by non-governmental organization the environmental law center "Ecolex-Azerbaijan".

The following purposes are the main in the activity of EPAC:

• Informing the general public and NGOs about Azerbaijan Republic environmental legislation;
• Rendering free legal services to the NGOs and the public, including on the environmental legal issues;
• Rendering free legal services to the public in its activity on the environmental protection;
• Protection of the public rights in the courts and administrative structures;
• Consolidation of efforts of NGOs, other public associations as well as individuals for improvement of the national legislation on the environment;
• Reinforcement of the public associations role in the solution of issues concerning to the accession of Azerbaijan to the international conventions;
• Effectiveness increase of the environmental NGOs activity in the carrying out public environmental examinations;
• Coordination of NGOs activity in organization of the public environmental examinations.

The project is implemented by Financial Support of Open Society Institute.

The following steps will be provided for the environmental-law information of NGOs and population:

• Publication and circulation of the environmental-law bulletin "Ecolex";
• Preparation and circulation of the electronic version of environmental-law bulletin "Ecolex";
• Preparation and location of the environmental-law information in English and Azeri to the Web-site of the organization (http://ecolex.aznet.org);
• Collection and systematization of Azerbaijan environmental legislation;
• Publication and free circulation of the next volumes of Azerbaijan’s code on the environment at the expense of additional funding sources;
• Holding the workshops to NGOs and the general public regarding the issues of Azerbaijan’s legislation on the environment;
• Holding the round-tables for discussion of necessary issues regarding coordination of NGOs activity on the solution of the purposes, which were put by to the project and organization.

The following steps will be provided for the increase of the public participation in decision-making process on the environmental issues:

• Participation in the realization of the state environmental examinations;
• Coordination of NGOs activity at the realization of the state environmental examinations;
• Participation in the public discussions of the projects for which Environmental Impact Assessment process will be forecast;
• Coordination of NGOs activity at the public discussions of these projects;
• Involving the public to the participation in the Environmental Impact Assessment process as well as in the public environmental examinations are carried out by efforts of the environmental NGOs and the general public;
• Carrying out the public environmental examinations and counseling on the examined projects;
• Carrying out the public environmental monitoring for both the companies and individuals whose activity leads to the environmental pollution.

The following steps will be provided for the protection of the environmental rights of both the NGOs and individuals:

• Free legal consultation to the both NGOs and public on the issues of the Azerbaijan’s environmental legislation;
• Free advocacy to the general public and NGOs for protection their rights and interests in the courts and administrative structures;
• Organization and realization of the legal processes against the companies and individuals whose activity leads to the environmental pollution for the purpose of stopping or decrease of the environmental pollution;
• Organization and realization of the legal processes against government and other executive powers about disaffirmation of its decisions that are unconstitutional and are in conflict with international obligations of the Azerbaijan Republic

The following steps will be provided for the preparation of Azerbaijan’s legislation on the environment:

• Participation in the workgroups activity to the preparation of alternative legislations and governmental decisions on the environment;
• Lobbying the alternative legislations and governmental decisions on the environment;
• İnclusion of the environmental lawyers to the workgroups of respective committee of Milli Madjlis (Azerbaijan Parliament) for development of the environmental laws;
• İnclusion of the environmental lawyers to the workgroups of respective committees of Azerbaijan Government ar the preparation of the decisions regarding to the environment:
• Carrying out the actions are directed to the accession of Azerbaijan to the international conventions on the environmental protection