User friendly EIA directive

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive has been revised to help European Member States manage the environmental consequences of construction projects more easily.

The new directive comes into force today, and attempts to make a more compact, clearly translated and user-friendly version of the directive.

Environment commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "The EIA Directive is an important tool to address environmental concerns in construction project design. The changes aim at simplifying the Directive's format by making it more legally clear, accessible and easier to enforce. This initiative is part of the review of the EIA Directive, a process which started in 2010 and aims to increase the Directive's environmental protection while reducing administrative burden."

Environmental assessment is important for monitoring the environmental implications of construction projects throughout member states. This could be anything from roads to dams, factories, airports and energy projects. Procedures for environmental impact are reported back to authorities who can then make an educated decision on whether to approve such projects.

One of the most prominent features of the directive is the impact on air quality, which has recently been linked to several major health concerns, such as cardiovascular effects and neurological impacts.

Posted by Joseph Hutton