Cautious welcome for EIA directive revision deal

Wildlife groups and professional bodies have cautiously welcomed a deal reached on revising the EU Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The 1985 directive had already been revised three times in 1997, 2003 and 2009. Just before Christmas a deal was reached on further reforms that must be transposed into UK laws by 2017.

The most significant change includes a more standardised approach to deciding when EIA is needed (screening), a requirement to use “competent experts” for EIAs and requirements for monitoring after development takes place.