...

The EIA must analyse the potential impacts of the project on the environment and the climate, as well as the risks of climate change on the project, and propose measures to avoid, mitigate and/or compensate the likely adverse impacts, maximise positive impacts and build climate resilience. ⁽¹⁾It may be decided to include social impacts as part of the scope of the EIA. 

The main project features are as follows: (provide a short description of the project, including the rationale for the project, type of project, location, expected duration of all project phases – construction, operation, and decommissioning, technologies to be employed, life-cycle of the project, etc. Please note that for the analysis of the likely impacts and other analyses, information at least at the level of the feasibility study or at the level of the documentation for the zoning or construction permit will be needed.)

...

The methodologies that will be used during scoping to identify the key potential significant impacts on the environment should be described.^(2)[40]

The stakeholders’ engagement plan will:

• Identify relevant stakeholders to be involved in the EIA, including environmental and health authorities, other relevant governmental agencies and institutions, the public and public concerned, non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations.
• Propose the means of stakeholders’ engagement following the requirements of the national EIA legislation as well as reflecting an international good EIA practice and the provisions of the Aarhus Convention^(3)[41]; it should indicate the use of different stakeholder engagement mechanisms^(4)[42] in the different stages of the EIA process.

...

• Physical environment, including (micro-) climate, climate change and related risks, emissions of greenhouse gases^(5)[43], air quality, quantity and quality of water resources (surface and groundwater), geology, geomorphology, soil and subsoil quality, landscape, and risk of disasters related to natural hazards.
• Biological conditions: biodiversity (including rare, endangered and endemic biodiversity components), and biological resources of cultural, social, or economic importance, including ecosystem services.
• Socio-economic conditions: in particular those which may be affected by the changes of the environment (e.g. public health), vulnerability to natural hazards; vulnerability to increasing climate variability and the expected effects of climate change, access to natural resources and associated conflicts, poverty, livelihood, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage aspects, etc. Special attention must be given to vulnerable and potentially underrepresented groups such as women, indigenous peoples and minority groups.

...

The impact assessment can be supported by reference to the technical screening criteria of the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities, which can be found in the Environmental and Climate Delegated Acts^(6)[44], and which are used to determine compliance with the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle and positive contributions. These delegated acts cover the six areas of the EU Taxonomy:

...

The technical proposal shall be considered unsuitable if it fails to achieve a minimum score of 75 out of 100 points and the entire proposal rejected.

Div
ID line-seperator

References

Anchor

(1)(1)(1) It may be decided to include social impacts as part of the scope of the EIA.

[40] [40]

^[40] These are likely to include tools Anchor(2)(2)(2) These are likely to include tools such as: checklists, cause-effect diagrams, Leopold-type matrices, GIS overlays, stakeholder consultations, and site visits.

Anchor

(3)

[41] [41]

[41] (3) UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.

Anchor

(4)(4)(4)

[42] [42]

^[42] There are a number of potential constraints to effective public participation which may require adapted consultation mechanisms: (i) poverty and remoteness (provide transport or financial compensation); (ii) illiteracy or local language (adapt means of communication); (iii) behavioural norms or cultural practise may inhibit effective participation (e.g. organise separate sessions for women of religious minorities); (iv) confidentiality (can be important for proponent); (v) conflicts between legal system and traditional system creating confusion about rights and responsibilities.

Anchor

(5)(5)(5

[43] [43]

^[43] ) Note that project-related emissions of greenhouse gases are unlikely to be considered ‘significant’ at the global scale. Nevertheless, at the project scale a project or some project alternatives may offer significant opportunities to reduce emissions, store carbon or implement the principle of a ‘climate-neutral development path’. If this is the case, the assessment of such opportunities should be included in the scope of the EIA.

Anchor

(6)(6)(6)

[44] [44]

[44] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2486 in  in the case of the environmental delegated act, and and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 as  as amended by by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2485 in  in the case of the climate delegated act.

...