A clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right.
Ekokoncepcija is committed to upholding the core pillars of environmental democracy rooted in the UNECE Aarhus Convention: public access to environmental information, genuine citizen participation in spatial and industrial decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters.
We support communities across Central and Eastern Europe in exercising these rights and hold decision-makers accountable to international environmental standards.
Our main directions:
- Aarhus Convention advocacy and international compliance: We have extensive expertise in utilizing the mechanisms of the UNECE Aarhus Convention. Our legal experts actively participate in Meetings of the Parties (MoP), collaborate with the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, and submit alternative civic reviews. We use international treaty bodies to challenge state non-compliance, combat systemic restrictions on civil society, and ensure that cross-border projects strictly follow public participation rules.
- Protection of environmental defenders: We actively defend civic activists and environmental NGOs facing pressure, harassment, or administrative persecution. In direct cooperation with international bodies—including the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention and UN Special Procedures—we document violations, submit urgent appeals, and advocate for safe, enabling conditions for grassroots green movements.
- Civic consultation and advisory helpdesk: We run a specialized informational consultation desk for citizens and initiative groups. We provide practical step-by-step guidance, legal inquiry templates, and action algorithms to help local communities independently address environmental concerns, from municipal tree felling and illicit waste dumping to urban green-zone preservation.
- Monitoring and legal analytics: Our legal team conducts independent reviews of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, urban planning documentation, and draft environmental legislation across the region. We publish analytical briefs to spotlight procedural violations and train citizens on how to effectively voice concerns during public hearings.