Factsheet #57
Environmental Impact Assessments
#57: Environmental Impact Assessments
Description
Environmental impact assessments include the identification, description and assessment of the significant impacts of a project, plan or programme on the protected assets.
Function
Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) serve as an effective environmental precaution in accordance with the applicable laws and are carried out according to uniform principles and with public participation. Private actors planning to use natural resources have to conduct EIAs, whereas the public sector is in charge of assessing them. The framework for the EIA can be set by an individual law or within a sectoral regulation.
Example: Environmental Impact Assessments in Germany
Environmental Impact Assessments identify and evaluate the possible adverse effects on the environment of a project or strategy. EIAs provide for a valuable tool for environmental protection in accordance with applicable law. They require public participation and involved stakeholders (mainly on a local level) have the right to be informed about the assessment and, in certain circumstances, are consulted about their opinions.
Source
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (2020). Environmental assessments EIA/SEA. https://www.bmu.de/en/topics/education-participation/citizen-participation-your-opinion-matters/general-information-environmental-assessments/ Retrieved 24 September 2020.