The text of Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment1 - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 385

Appendix 1
The text of Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3
March 1997 amending Directive
85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects
of certain public and private projects on
the environment1
Article 1
1. This Directive shall apply to the assessment of the environmental effects of those
public and private projects which are likely to have significant effects on the
environment.
2. For the purposes of this Directive: “project” means:
- the execution of construction works or of other installations or schemes,
- other interventions in the natural surroundings and landscape including those
involving the extraction of mineral resources;
“developer” means:
the applicant for authorization for a private project or the public authority
which initiates a project;
“development consent” means:
the decision of the competent authority or authorities which entitles the
developer to proceed with the project.
3. The competent authority or authorities shall be that or those which the Member States
designate as responsible for performing the duties arising from this Directive.
4. Projects serving national defence purposes are not covered by this Directive.
5. This Directive shall not apply to projects the details of which are adopted by a specific
act of national legislation, since the objectives of this Directive, including that of
supplying information, are achieved through the legislative process.
1 Consolidated version.
Article 2
1. Member States shall adopt all measures necessary to ensure that, before consent is
given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter