EIA Directive meaning

In this issue: EU fundamentals Commercial Competition and state aid Corporate Free movement, immigration and employment Financial services Energy Environment Life sciences Regulatory TMT Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers EU fundamentals European Commission releases October 2025 infringement package The European Commission has unveiled its October 2025 infringement package, identifying the EU Member States facing proceedings for breaches of obligations arising under EU law. The dossier covers letters of formal notice, reasoned opinions, and referrals to the Court of Justice addressed to Belgium, Malta, Estonia, Austria, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands and a number of additional countries. Actions relate to multiple instruments and rules, notably Directive 1999/31/EC (Landfill Directive), Directive (EU) 2020/2184 (Drinking Water Directive), and Directive 2011/92/EU (Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive), among related matters. See: LNB News 08/10/2025 39. ...

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In this issue Key developments and materials Air emissions and climate change Pollution and contamination Energy for environmental lawyers Environmental disputes and proceedings Environmental enforcement and prosecutions ESG and sustainability Hazardous substances and chemicals Marine Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Waste Producer responsibility schemes for waste Water, flood risk and drainage Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Key developments and materials UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025—Built environment aspects The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has issued the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025—a decade‑long blueprint to boost corporate investment across eight growth‑driving sectors, following consultation launched in October 2024. The Strategy is crafted to simplify and speed up investment procedures for businesses, whilst offering greater certainty and stability for long‑term decisions. Headline sector plans comprise the Clean Energy Industries and Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plans. The Clean Energy Industries Plan outlines an ambition to double investment...

Key legislation Environmental impact assessment (EIA) safeguards the environment by obliging the planning decision‑maker, including a local planning authority (LPA), when determining whether to grant planning permission for a project likely to have significant environmental effects, to take those likely significant effects into account in the decision‑making process within town and country planning matters as part of that decision‑making process. In the context of town and country planning, EIA is regulated by: the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (English EIA Regulations), SI 2017/571 in England; and the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (Welsh EIA Regulations), SI 2017/567 in Wales together, the ‘EIA Regulations’. The EIA Regulations implement into English and Welsh law the changes introduced by Archived Directive 2014/52/EU to Archived Directive 2011/92/EU on assessing the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (as they had effect immediately before IP completion day—11 pm on 31 December 2020), insofar as they...

This Practice Note sets out the principal amendments to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) regime introduced by Directive 2014/52/EU in 2014. For the complete, amended framework, see Practice Note: EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directive—snapshot. Evolution of the EIA regime At EU level, environmental impact assessment was first regulated by Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985, which came into force on 3 July 1985, with a transposition deadline of 3 July 1988. From 1997 to 2009, the 1985 Directive underwent a series of major amendments. Following a 2009 review of the regime’s effectiveness, those changes were codified and consolidated for clarity and coherence in Directive 2011/92/EU (the EU EIA Directive). Directive 2014/52/EU (the 2014 Amending Directive) took effect on 15 May 2014 and made significant revisions to the EU EIA Directive. It sought to: enhance environmental protection streamline the rules for assessing the potential effects of proposed developments on the environment cut the administrative burden Member States had until 16...

Context An environmental impact assessment (EIA) evaluates the potentially significant environmental consequences of a scheme. Certain categories of development require an EIA before planning permission can be issued. Through this process, the public and the local planning authority (LPA) can understand the importance of predicted impacts and how they might be reduced prior to any decision. See Practice Note: Environmental impact assessments—key points. The outcomes are captured in an environmental statement (ES). Producing an ES helps developers integrate environmental considerations at the project design stage. Carrying out a thorough and comprehensive EIA may enhance the likelihood of obtaining planning permission... Legislation and guidance EIA for town and country planning matters is governed by: the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (English EIA Regulations), SI 2017/571 in England, and the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (Welsh EIA Regulations), SI 2017/567 in Wales Together the ‘EIA Regulations’. The EIA Regulations transpose into English and...