The Council of the European Union has approved a directive amending the EU directive on environmental impact assessment (EIA). This follows a comprehensive overhaul of the legislation initiated two years back.
Among the key changes are a stronger screening process, and a move to allow mitigation measures. Cumulative effects will have to be taken into account and EIA reports will have to be broader in scope, taking on board climate change, biodiversity, human health, vulnerability to accidents and disasters and resource use.
The revisions will have to be transposed into national legislation by mid-2017.
