Access to Public Participation: Unveiling the Mismatch between what Law Prescribes and what the Public Wants

This chapter investigates the manner in which public participation in environmental matters is organised under EU law throughout the decision-making chain and shows the infant stadium of development of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in this area. Based on legal analysis and literature review, this chapter highlights the different requirements existing at the various levels of the chain and their interaction. It then unveils the potential mismatch that emerges when the legal requirements are looked at from the perspective of what people want, based on social sciences insights.