{"id":21971,"date":"2026-04-08T17:43:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cqde.org\/news\/register-environnemental-information-ruling\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T17:43:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:43:34","slug":"register-environnemental-information-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cqde.org\/en\/news\/access-to-information\/register-environnemental-information-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Register of Environmental Information: The CQDE takes note of the ruling and will continue its efforts with the government"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Montr\u00e9al, April 2, 2026 \u2013 The Centre qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois du droit de l\u2019environnement (CQDE) takes note of the March 20 ruling regarding the Public Register of Environmental Information, which has been enacted in the 2017 reform of the <i>Environment Quality Act<\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. but has yet to be created. In its decision, the Superior Court of Qu\u00e9bec does not order the government to create it within a specific timeframe at this stage, but it confirms that the courts can make decisions on such questions of government inaction; therefore, the CQDE may return to the courts on this issue in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>An essential tool for democracy and the environment<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Public Register of Environmental Information, enacted by the National Assembly in 2017, aims to provide simple and rapid access to essential data on the environmental impacts of projects. This tool will enable citizens, communities, organizations, the media, and municipalities to better understand and monitor environmental issues. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe absence of this register is a democratic failure. Citizens have the right to know so they can act,\u201d explains Genevi\u00e8ve Paul, Executive Director of the CQDE. \u201cHow can we protect our territory if we don\u2019t know what pressures are weighing on it?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s the only provision of the 2017 reform of the Environment Quality Act that hasn\u2019t been implemented! Yet we know that access to information is essential for informed public participation. Without such a register, information remains difficult to access and is often obtained late, too often too late. The public has the right and needs to know what is happening in their communities,\u201d adds Genevi\u00e8ve Paul.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Northvolt case, even without a BAPE process, the register would have provided instant access to environmental information regarding the project.Instead, the public and the media were forced to file numerous requests for access to information \u2013 and even legal recourses \u2013 to shed full light on this project and its approval process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Years of government inaction<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite repeated reminders from the CQDE and numerous civil society actors, the government has not prioritized the creation of this register. An access to information request and the court process confirm that the register is not scheduled to go online in the coming years, even though it is a major component of the 2017 reform of the EQA and the only section that has not come into effect. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWith the provincial elections approaching, we call on all parties to publicly commit to upholding the law and to adopt an order in council for the prompt online publication of the register,\u201d concludes Genevi\u00e8ve Paul. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CQDE reaffirms that rapid access to information is an integral part of the right to information and that it is an essential condition for ensuring effective protection of our environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; 30 &#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Montr\u00e9al, April 2, 2026 \u2013 The Centre qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois du droit de l\u2019environnement (CQDE) takes note of the March 20 ruling regarding the Public Register of Environmental Information, which has been enacted in the 2017 reform of the Environment Quality Act. but has yet to be created. In its decision, the Superior Court of Qu\u00e9bec does [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[906],"tags":[],"ressource_annee":[952],"categorie_association":[896],"ressource_type":[],"class_list":["post-21971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-access-to-information","ressource_annee-952","categorie_association-registre-pour-lacces-a-linformation-environnementale-2"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Public Register of Environmental Information: The CQDE takes note of the ruling and will continue its efforts with the government | CQDE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Restez inform\u00e9s avec nos derni\u00e8res nouvelles 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