ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

JUDr. Ilona Jančářová, Ph.D.

EIA

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) –



Procedure for comprehensive evaluating of the likely impact of a proposed activity on the
environment

EIA



l  Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo 1991)

l  Protocol 2003 on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment - SEA (Kiev)

l  1998 Aarhus Convention

EIA



Aim - to apply this procedure to projects and plans that could have a significant transboundary
impact on the environment and to bring the parties concerned to cooperation in this field.



Prevention principle

EIA

l  obligation of each party to ensure that the EIA is undertaken prior to a decision to authorize
or undertake a proposed activity listed in Appendix I that is likely to cause a significant
transboundary impact.

EIA



The EIA procedure applies to:

-              certain projects (buildings, constructions, technologies and other activities),

-              plans, programmes and policies (SEA) and

-              their changes.

EIA

EIA documentation should contain:



l   description of the proposed activity (project),

l   description of reasonable alternatives including the no-action alternative,

l   description of the environment likely to be significantly affected (including, in particular,
population, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, including the
architectural and archeological heritage, landscape and the inter-relationship between the above
factors),

l   description of a potential environmental impact of the proposed activity and estimation of its
significance (an estimate, by type and quantity, of expected residues and emissions (water, air and
soil pollution, noise, vibration, light, heat, radiation, etc.) resulting from the operation of the
proposed project,

l   description of mitigating measures to keep adverse environmental impact to a minimum,

l   identification of gaps in knowledge and uncertainties encountered in compiling the required
information,



EIA

Public participation:

    the requirement to give the opportunity to the public in areas likely to be affected to
participate in the relevant EIA procedures and the same opportunity for the public of the Party
concerned.



Public - one or more natural or legal persons



PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

"public„ - natural or legal persons as well as organizations



"the public concerned" - those who are affected or likely to be affected by or having an interest
in the environmental decision-making. Non-governmental organizations need only to promote
environmental protection and meet requirements under national law to be the part of the "public
concerned".

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION



l  Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation and Decision-Making and Access to
Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus 1998)