The Right to Participation and the Right to Access to Public Information and How they Relate to Argentine Environmental Law for the Conservation of Biodiversity. A Study of Cases for the Legal Protection of Native Forests and Wetlands

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the current legal framework on the right to participation and the right to access to public information, as applicable to the conservation of biodiversity in Argentina (particularly forests and wetlands). The focus is on a review of regulations and a selection of case law, based on the impact generated by Argentine environmental legislation, and an analysis of other modes of regional participation. The idea is to raise the question as to whether or not, above and beyond having legal tools that afford the possibility of taking action related to public participation and access to environmental information, these tools are channeled effectively through the system of sanctions provided under Argentine environmental law. A bibliographic study of norms, jurisprudence and doctrine is provided. The preliminary conclusion is that social actors play a key role and one that is complementary to the role of the public sector, and their rights need to be exercised constantly by citizens, since the results of the tools afforded by law are not always reflected efficiently in society.