Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance Comment: Proposed Changes to EU Environmental Impact Assessment rules – Reducing the burden?

8 November 2012

Following a lengthy review process, the European Commission has proposed reforms to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive and how EIA should be conducted in relation to development projects.  The Commission is seeking to ensure that EIA is applied consistently to projects across the EU whilst targeting assessment only on the most significant impacts and thereby speeding up projects whether or not assessment is required. In England, these changes could lead to structural changes to EIA procedures and more onerous requirements on developers. This briefing analyses the principal proposals.

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