Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment in the European Union

INTRODUCTION

Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding the country’s power, transport and industrial infrastructure will require the utilisation of international financial institutions’ resources. The main requirement for receiving them is the use of environmental protection management instruments that protect natural resources, health and wellness of society as a whole and of individuals. One of the main instruments of a sustainable development policy for  projects[1] is an environmental impact assessment system.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EIA PROCEDURE

In the last decades of the previous century, many countries have recognised the need to implement an effective environmental protection policy aimed at protecting natural resources, health conditions, wellness of society and living conditions of individuals. It translated into those countries pursuing the “sustainable development” path. One of the most effective preventive instruments of a sustainable development policy is a system of environmental impact assessment (an EIA system).

Environmental impact assessment is a systemic, interdisciplinary identification and specification (qualitative and quantitative) of the impact of planned investment projects or other actions, taking into account reasonable alternatives. Such assessment analyses the impact of the  project and project alternatives,  building phase, operational phase and decommission stage of an investment, on natural, health, cultural, social and economic components within the impact area, considering the processes taking place in it.

The notion of environmental impact assessment also includes a procedure followed by competent authority  under legal regulations of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2011/92/EU of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, amended by Directive 2014/52/EU. EIA procedures in the European Union Member States also take into account other EU Directives and international conventions.

Environmental impact assessment for planned projects is a long-term, often phased process that concludes with the issuing of an investment consent. Its aim is to work towards economic growth goals, while minimising environmental losses and compensating for them, if possible.

There is a fixed group of actions in an EIA process of each country’s EIA system, comprising a sequence of actions. Further publications prepared as part of the EKO‑KONSULT for UKRAINE series will focus on those characteristic actions. Covering those issues should enable the use of guidelines and recommendations for a relatively long period of time. With time, some of the contents would need to be updated, not only due to legal and procedural changes, but also due to progress being made in EIA practice.

CONTENTS OF INFORMATION MATERIALS

Information materials will focus on selected key issues of environmental impact assessment in relation to enterprises / planned investments. These will include, above all:

-        selected EU law issues,

-        methods of environmental impact assessment,

-        scope of  an EIA reports,

-        preparation of an EIA documentation,

-        process of public consultations and opinions,

-        participation of environmental protection organisations,

-        environmental monitoring.

An example of those information materials contents is given below. It does not exhaust important issues though, and may be modified.

Contents of information materials:

1.     Introduction to environmental impact assessment in the European Union.

2.     EU regulations concerning EIA procedures.

3.     EU regulations concerning other environmental protection management instruments related with EIA (integrated permits, BAT, post-project analysis, risk assassment, major-accident hazards).

4.     Aims of an EIA process (+ main definitions).

5.     EIA procedure –screening process.

6.     EIA procedure – scoping process of an  EIA report .

7.     Cross-border aspects of EIA.

8.     Decision-making in an EIA procedure.

9.     EIA procedure – determination of the environment condition.

10.  EIA procedure – interactions between the project, the environment and society.

11.  EIA procedure – mitigating measures.

12.  EIA procedure – monitoring.

13.  EIA procedure – EIA report – scope of works.

14.  EIA procedure – EIA report  preparation.

15.  Consultations and society’s participation.

16.  Opinions and discussions on EIA reports.

17.  Issuing environmental consent (decision).

18.  Importance of Natura 2000 areas for EIA procedures.

19.  Check list – urbanised areas.

20.  Check list – coastal areas.

21.  Check list – industrial projects.

22.  Check list – infrastructural projects.

23.  Check list – transport projects.

24.  Check list – agricultural and food .

25.  Introduction to impact assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION MATERIALS

Articles in Polish and English will be published regularly on the EKO-KONSULT website under the FOR UKRAINE tab. Information about new materials will also be available on EKO-KONSULT's Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.

The same materials will be published in Ukrainian on the websites of universities participating in the project. We will post links to these materials after receiving information from the university.

[1] Project -  – any planned new activity or investment, as well as changes or extension  of existing investments