Defra has launched a consultation including marine stakeholders for the EU Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (2014/52/EU) into national legislation.  This joint technical consultation makes changes to Defra’s EIA Regulations on Forestry, Agriculture, Water Resources, Land Drainage and Marine Works. As a marine stakeholder you may have an interest in the Marine Works (EIA) Regulations 2007. This consultation will close on 31 January 2017. Details of the consultation and how to respond are on the attached link: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/housing-and-planning/environmental-impact-assessment-eia-changes.

The EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (‘the EIA Directive’) is applied across the European Union (EU) to development projects with likely significant effects on the environment (by virtue of their nature, size or location).  The Directive requires such projects to be subject to an assessment of those effects before development consent can be given.

In 2014 Directive 2014/52/EU amended the EIA Directive (2011/92/EU) to: reduce the burden on developers, by aiming for: fewer projects being subject to assessment; and reductions in the size and cost of environmental statements; and where assessments are required.  The focus should now be on those environmental factors that are significantly affected and not any potential impact. The UK Government now needs to make amendments to domestic regulations to implement these changes by 16 May 2017.

This is a joint consultation by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England, the Welsh and Scottish Governments and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.  This consultation concerns amendments to domestic legislation on Environmental Impact Assessment for forestry, agriculture, water resources, land drainage, fin-fish farming in marine waters and marine works.

Marine Planning & Licensing Team