Public participation in policy making, environmental protection and democracy ; Участь громадськості у прийнятті державних рішень, захист навколишнього природного середовища та демократія
Problem setting. Environmental issues are one of the most important in today's globalized world. Environmental protection, rational use of natural resources, maintenance of environmental safety are determined by the legislation of Ukraine as a necessary condition for sustainable economic and social development of the country. NGOs in the field of environmental protection are formed by active members of society and play a key role in implementing the principles of public participation in decision-making. The activity of such organizations is aimed at expanding environmental activities into society, awareness and active public addressing of environmental issues.Recent research and publications analysis. The problems of NGOs' participation in the processes of formation and implementation of state policy were studied by E. Afonin, R. Voitovich, L. Honyukova, G. Hoshovska, V. Namestnik, T. Fedorenko, S. Teleshun, T. Alexandrov, T. Andriychuk, M. Vihlyaev, A. Voloshin, K. Glubochenko, M. Latsiba, N. Oksha, S. Stetsenko, O. Fedorov and others. The research of the environmental movement in Ukraine, its role in the processes of formation of ecological consciousness and ecological culture of Ukrainian society were accomplished by M. Aleksiyovets, S. Vasyuta, T. Hardashchuk, S. Gensiruk, V. Krysachenko, V. Namestnik, O. Stegnii, M. Hilko and others.Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem. Despite many studies in the field of NGOs' activity, their participation in the formation and implementation of public policy, the issues of effective interaction of environmental organizations with public authorities are poorly studied and require more detailed analysis.The purpose of the article is to substantiate public participation in the process of public-administrative decision-making in the field of environmental protection as the main factor of democracy and development of civil society in the country.Paper main body. One of the main prerequisites in the development of democracy is the participation of wide population' groups in the process of decision-making. The regulations for interaction of public authorities and organizations of civil society in the formulation and implementation of public policies are generally created in democratic Ukraine. However, public organizations do not always effectively use the mechanisms of cooperation with the government.Engaging citizens to participate in decision-making should be based on relevant principles. The fundamental principles of public participation in policy making are: the principle of citizen' confidence in the government, the principle of government openness and transparency, the principle of objectivity, the principle of coordination, the presence of effective mechanisms to inform citizens, alternatives in discussing of practical aspects of problem-solving and others.The level of citizen' participation at different stages of the decision-making process may vary depending on the intensity of the attraction. There are four levels of participation, from the lowest to the highest engagement. These include information, consultation, dialogue and partnership.The real impetus for the development of the issues of public participation in the management of public affairs in environmental protection sphere was the ratification of the Aarhus Convention, UN/ECE, by Ukraine.Public participation in policy making and democracy in the western world have always been a part of environmental movement and environmental political theory.Environmental democracy is based on the idea that active public participation is crucial to ensure equitable consideration of public interests in decision-making considering the land and other natural resources. At its core, environmental democracy involves three mutually reinforcing rights: the right to free access to information on the quality and environmental issues; the right to democratic and constructive participation in decision-making; the right to enforce environmental regulations or compensation for damages. Even though these rights are widely recognized as fundamental for a responsible, equitable and effective environmental management, the extent to which countries have established them by means of laws and regulations still must be systematically measured. If ecological democracy is designed to ensure sustainable development, the rights to access to information, participation and justice on environmental issues should be recognized and enshrined by regulations of the country.Conclusions of the research and prospects for further studies. Rational use of natural resources and provision of environmental safety, enhancement of public awareness level and environmental awareness should be the priorities of public environmental policy. Public participation in environmental policy-making processes, defining the ways of management and environmental protection is a decisive factor and has a decisive influence on policy making in developed countries.Environmental democracy is defined as public participation and an environmentally sound form of collective decision-making that determines their priority, based on long-term public interests. The principles of environmental democracy should be used not only to criticize the existing institutional mechanisms of public-state interaction, but also to find other ways of their interaction.The prospect of further research is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the issues of public environmental awareness in the countries with different economic development level. ; Аргументовано, що підвищення рівня інформаційної обізнаності громадськості з питань охорони довкілля та забезпечення її широкої участі у прийнятті державно-управлінських рішень щодо охорони навколишнього середовища має бути пріоритетом держави, яка прагне налагодити ефективну взаємодію з громадськістю. Зазначено, що, своєю чергою, участь громадськості при розробленні державної політики допомагає вирішенню складних соціальних та екологічних проблем суспільства. Доведено, що зазначене є однією з основних передумов розвитку демократії. Розглянуто основні міжнародні та національні нормативні акти у сфері охорони навколишнього природного середовища. Наведено рівні участі громадян на різних етапах процесу прийняття державно-управлінських рішень. Розглянуто поняття екологічної демократії та визначено, що розвиток освіти і поширення екологічної інформації стимулюють відповідальність громадськості у вирішенні екологічних питань.