- Current Status:
Public participation is becoming increasingly important. Many projects face opposition, so developers and politicians discover that it is vital to interact with the various publics at an early stage. EIA is of growing importance, as indicated in the new law: Environmental Code 1998. Laws about town and country planning provide for public comments on plans and public participation in the licensing procedure under environmental legislation.
- Sectoral Differences:
The private sector is seeing the need for public participation even more than the public sector, since corporations see the mistakes and delays which are caused by the lack of public trust.* Even on the national level, politicians are acknowledging the need to find ways to involve the public in debates about national issues. This became more obvious after the parliamentary elections of 1998 after low voter turnouts. People tend not to use their vote when they feel powerless towards the decision makers. Note - one respondent disagrees with the sentences which follow *.
- Differences by Field:
Fields with a classic effect on the environment e.g. waste management, transportation of dangerous goods, mining and forestry, stimulate public participation. However, it is not required legally for forestry and education. Note - one respondent disagrees with the last sentence.
- Trends:
In the above fields, there is a trend for the public to want not only information but some part in the decision making process; the public is becoming more active, even proactive. Legislation is becoming more focussed on environmental issues. However, another observer saw no such trend.
- Techniques:
Those acknowledging the need for public participation are more interested in dialogue than one-way communication. Open houses and dialogue meetings with smaller groups are preferred to big public meetings. Public meetings organized by the applicant, regulatory bodies and spontaneously by the public are becoming more important, according to one observer, but another sees no trend like this.
- Pressures for Economy & Efficiency:
Two observers see no pressure in this direction while another reports that there is, but it is not very pronounced.
- Stakeholders vs. Public:
This depends on what stage the project is in, says one practitioner. e.g. in siting a national project, the general public must be kept informed, but more attention is paid to stakeholders as the process continues. Another practitioner notes that stakeholders must take the general public into account or else it will react. Another observer sees no change in emphasis between these two elements in the public.
8. Public Participation vs.ADR, Mediation etc These alternatives are not currently available in Sweden, but two respondents express interest in them.
- Employment:
There are no independent firms; proponents do this work with their own staff, though some individual consultants my provide advice.
- Policy vs. Project Focus:
Most of the emphasis is on projects but there is increasing interest in applying participation to program development.
- Comments, Suggestions, etc.:
There is still a lot of work to do at all levels. More needs to be done to improve public participation processes. There is a feeling that most issues have already been decided when information is given and the public is invited to participate in the process. Confidence in the public participation process and in environmental protection methods need to be strengthened. Public participation takes place when it is required by law, most recently the Environmental Code of 1998. Public involvement is in the Code, regulated through EIA,when applying for a resource consent that is likely to have significant adverse effects on the environment. * So far, the public is virtually never involved in the EIA process before the EIS is drafted. The new Code might change this. There is very little informal public involvement. Note - one respondent disagrees strongly with the sentences which follow * above.
