ABSTRACT

The Seveso II Directive (art. 13) gives more rights to the public in terms of access to information as well as in terms of consultation. Operators as well as public authorities have well defined obligations to inform the public, by means both of passive information and active information. Whereas passive information means permanent availability of information, i.e. that this information can be requested by the public, active information means that operators or competent authorities themselves need to be pro-active, for example through the distribution of leaflets or brochures informing the public about the behaviour in the case of an accident. The Italian Legislative Decree n. 334/99, implementing the Seveso II Directive, states in its Article n.22 that the Region should provide for the access of interested people to the safety report. The local government, where the establishment is located, promptly acquaint the population with information supplied by the establishment’s operator, if necessary made more understandable. This information should always be updated and permanently available to the public. Article 23 suggests a greater involvement of population in decision procedures in the event of new

establishments build up, significant modifications of the existing ones and settlement and infrastructures creation around them. The information to be communicated to the public, as provided for in Article 13, should not be considered as the only means mayors may use to communicate risk, but it is necessary to pursue the aim of an effective information.