從奧爾胡斯公約檢視我國環境影響評估法制中民眾參與之規範

Abstract

由於公部門環境行政之執法之侷限性以及隨著民眾環境意識之提升，如何結合社會與政府公部門之協力合作共同確保環境任務履行之完善，已是國際環境政策上之普遍趨勢，因此「合作原則」在今日已被視為國際環境法或環境政策之重要原則之一。例如美國於1969年公布之「國家環境政策法」（The National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA）第4331條第1段「…聯邦政府將與各州及地方政府以及有關之公共與私人團體合作，採取所有切實可行之手段與措施，包括財政及技術上援助…」，我國環境基本法第4條第1項「國民、事業及各級政府應共負環境保護之義務與責任」亦有類似的宣示。 作為環境影響評估制度適用對象之開發案，往往亦是大規模或是對於環境較具影響性的重大開發案，故而不僅易對於周邊居民造成影響，同時往往亦引起環保團體的高度參與興趣，因此自然產生民眾參與的需求，並藉此以廣納資訊、保護利害關係人權益以及提高決策接受度。然而另一方面，當重大開發案受到國家產業政策支持時，公部門與相關業者即希望簡化審核程序並加速推動，自難以避免地經常與民眾或環保團體要求縝密調查評估的立場相衝突，甚至進而與民眾參與程度的構想恰成背道而馳。此外，在環境影響評估制度當中，開發對於環境衝擊的調查、評估與解決方案之提出，必須以專業知識的投入作為判斷的重要基礎，因此高度地須依賴專業判斷與預測評估。在此情形下，民眾參與極可能因此遭到摒除，或由於資訊不足以及無法跨越專業門檻，導致民眾參與淪為徒具形式，而無法發揮其應有之功能。 儘管環境治理與決策方面的民眾參與在國際規範以及我國現實面接受到高度的重視，但如何透過法制化的方式以確保民眾的實質性參與，且調和環境保護與經濟開發的對立性，以及消弭一般民眾與專家學者間在專業上落差，使民眾參與制度能發揮其應有功能，又能減少因立場對立可能產生的衝突，此對於環境保護與經濟開發皆有其重要的意義。民眾參與在我國相關論述上本即受到相當程度的重視，然而在相關法制建構上卻似乎未有等量的進展，例如我國環境影響評估法當中不乏民眾參與之機制，但卻因不盡完善而使得民眾參與應有的功能難以發揮，導致民間、產業與公部門間仍舊存在著不信任。本研究即擬奧爾胡斯國際公約中有關民眾參與的理念介紹出發，最後回到我國環境影響評估法制中民眾參與之規範進行整理與檢討，並進一步提出民眾參與制度改善的可能性與建議方向。

Due to the government entity enforce the Environment Law have the limits, as well as the citizen raise the conscious of protecting the environment, therefore it’s become more and more important that making public and government cooperate together. As a result, “Cooperation Principle” has been considered one of the most important rules in the environmental policy. For example, The United States declare “The National Environmental Policy Act” (NEPA) in 1969. There is said “…to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of presented future generations.” § 4331(a); Furthermore, our country had the similar declaration too, in “Basic Environment Act” Article 4 said “Citizens, enterprises and government entities at all levels shall jointly share the duties and responsibilities of protecting the environment.”\\r “The Environmental Impact Assessment Act” mostly applies to the development documents, which are large-scale, and concerned about effecting the environment more. Therefore, it not only the resident on the edge of the developments but also the environmental groups are interested in the environmental impact assessment. For this reason, the need of “Public Participation” is taken shape. However, as the great development documents are supported by government strategy of economy, the government entity and the developers both hope to speed up and simplify the procedure of the examination. Unavoidably, it will conflict with the conception of “Public Participation”. Furthermore, in environmental impact assessment, the proposals of development documents mostly rely on the technical judgment and precognitive evaluation. The public participation is more likely been ward off, or becoming just a formal system, because of the insufficient information disclosure. Despite the abundance of discussion, the connected legislation of public participation is still a lack in our country. For instance, there is incomplete in the Environmental Impact Assessment Act about the public participation, result in it can’t have its efficiency to bring into full play. Furthermore, the imperfect Public Participation made people distrust the government as usual. This study begins to the introduction of Arhus Convention, and return to survey the law of public participation in the Environmental Impact Assessment Act in our country finally, moreover, providing the suggestion and the aspect of improvement.