Origins and development - Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment - page 47

Table 2.4 Information required in an EIA under EC
Directive 85/337 (as amended)
Annex III (IV)
1. Description of the project
2. Where appropriate (an outline of main alternatives studied and an indication of the main reasons
for the final choice) .
3. Aspects of the environment likely to be significantly affected by the proposed project, including
population, fauna, flora, soil, water, air climatic factors, material assets, architectural and
archaeological heritage, landscape, and the interrelationship between them
4. Likely significant effects of the proposed project on the environment
5. Measures to prevent, reduce and where possible offset any significant adverse environmental
effects
6. Non-technical summary
7. Any difficulties encountered in compiling the required information
Note: Amendment is shown in italic.
Table 2.4 summarizes the information required by Annex III (Annex IV,
postamendments). A developer is thus required to prepare an EIS that includes the
information specified by the relevant Member State's interpretation of Annex III (Annex
IV, post-amendments) and to submit it to the “competent authority”. This EIS is then
circulated to other relevant public authorities and made publicly available: “Member
States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that the authorities likely to be
concerned by the project…are given an opportunity to express their opinion” (Article
6.1).
Member States shall ensure that:
• any request for development consent and any information gathered pursuant to [the
Directive's provisions] are made available to the public;
• the public concerned is given the opportunity to express an opinion before the project is
initiated.
The detailed arrangements for such information and consultation shall be determined by
the Member States (Articles 6.2 and 6.3) (see Section 6.2 also).
The competent authority must consider the information presented in an EIS, the
comments of relevant authorities and the public, and the comments of other Member
States (where applicable) in its consent procedure (Article 8). (The CEC (1994) published
a checklist to help competent authorities to review environmental information.) It must
then inform the public of the decision and any conditions attached to it (Article 9).