Welcome to your new EIA Regulations! · EC Public Consultation 2009 2011 2014 2013 2010 2012...

Preview:

Citation preview

iema.net

Welcome to your new EIA Regulations! Josh Fothergill MIEMA CEnv

Policy Lead – Impact Assessment

IEMA

16 May 2017

iema.net

• Reflections - EIA Directive Amendment

• EIA & Brexit

• EIA Directive Context

• UK EIA Transposition

• The UK’s 2017 EIA Regulations

Q&A

Outline

iema.net

EC Public Consultation

2009 2011

2014

2013

20122010

2011/92/EU

EU EIA

Effectiveness

Review

EC proposals for revising EIA

Directive

EIA Directive amendment2014/52/EU

Proposal Revised by EU Parliament &

Council

New EIA Directive

2017

Member State Transposition16 May 2017

Overview: Revising the EIA Directive

EIA and Brexit

iema.net

BREXIT & EIA in the UK

UK has today Transposed 2014 Directive

amendment, but future legal challenges

(>April 2019) likely to end with UK Courts

UK EIA Regulations will be covered in

the forthcoming Great Repeal Bill

Future amendments to EIA Directive very unlikely to directly apply in UK

In future, UK EIA Regulations will undergo a performance review at least every 5 years

EIA Directive Context

iema.netiema.net

Revisions to EU EIA Directive (1985 – 2014)

EIA Directive Time-limit for transposition

85/337/EEC 3 July 1988

97/11/EC – Amendment 14 March 1999

2003/35/EC – Amendment 25 June 2005

2009/31/EC – Amendment 25 June 2011

2011/92/EU Consolidation

No transposition required

2014/52/EU – Amendment 16 May 2017

iema.net

2014/52/EU European Commission Goals

Core Rule:

• Maintain the level of environmental protection established within the existing EIA Directive

Three Aims to drive Effective EIA:

- Harmonisation between Member States

- Efficiency to streamline multiple EU assessments & reduce burdens

- Quality moving away from a purely procedural focus in EIA laws

Also: Improve consideration of Climate Change and Biodiversity in EIA

iema.net

2014/52/EUSignificant Scale of Change

iema.netiema.net

Transposition – EU Progress

EU Member States

• Complete: Bulgaria, (Poland), Luxembourg, Cyprus, Slovenia

• 16 May 2017: UK, Sweden, Netherlands, (Poland)

• Later: Portugal

http://uvp.de/de/uvp-report/jg30/jg30h2UVP Journal on: Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK

What didn’t Happen?

• Annex 1 & 2 changes

• Screen ALL Annex 2

• Mandatory Scoping

• Integration of HRA, WFD, SEA, IED

• Ecosystem Services

• Requirement Best Env Alternative

What DidChange?

• The UK’s EIA Regulations:

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/571/made

iema.net

Thank You

Josh Fothergill

E: j.fothergill@iema.net

@jfothergilliema

iema.netiema.net

Main Changes via 2014/52/EU

• A definition of EIA

• Joint / Co-ordinated HD

• Time limits

• Screening Revisions

• New / revised topics

• Scoping Revisions

• Competent Experts

• ES Content

• Examination of ES and sufficient expertise in CA

• Decision Notice

• Monitoring

• Penalties & Conflict Interest

• Transitional arrangements

UK EIA TranspositionConsultations

iema.netiema.net

Transposing 2014/52/EU into UK EIA Regimes

Changes in two main formats:

- Areas with little discretion

- Areas where Member States have some flexibility

Also: Opportunity for wider changes and improvements to both Regulations and Practice

iema.netiema.net

UK Transposition Consultations

• Scotland: T&CP and other EIA regimes Oct’16

• Wales: T&CP EIA (Wales) regime Nov’16

• Defra & others: various EIA Regimes Jan ‘17

• DCLG: T&CP & DCO Feb ‘17

• Northern Ireland: Planning Feb ’17

• DfT: various EIA regimes Mar ‘17

• BEIS: Electricity Mar ‘ 17

Most of Regulations have ‘gone live’ Today

iema.netiema.net

IEMA Transposition Activity

IEMA responded to all UK EIA Consultations

• Consultation responses across 22 EIA Regulatory Regimes

• 10 August 2016 – 16 March 2017

• Scotland > Wales > Defra (et al) > DCLG > N. Ireland > DFT > BEIS

Involved with process since 2008

Broad and on-going member engagement since 2010

Preparatory webinars and guidance since 2014

Member views on ConsultationsChallenges & Opportunities

“Much of this is already good practice” “Avoid undue burden”

“An opportunity to streamline”

“How will x,y,z… work in practice?”

EIA PracticeOverview

iema.netiema.net

Consultation Concerns

Three main concerns:

- EIA Experts

- LPA Expertise

- ES ‘based on’ scoping opinion

Also: A key Opportunity

Increased interest in EIA provides window to drive more proportionate approach

The Town & Country Planning (EIA) Regulations 2017

SI 571 2017available online now:www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/571/made

iema.net

Reg 2: Interpretations

• Consultation Bodies

• Local Advertisement

• Monitoring Measure

• Environmental Impact Assessment - ish

Reg 3

• Remains the ‘teeth’ of EIA Regs

• Unchanged; however, EIA now means something…

Regulations 2 & 3

iema.net

Reg 4(1) – Definition of EIA:

• Preparation of ES

• Consultation and Publicity

• Cross Reference ‘steps in Regulation 26’ (?Gold-plating?)

Reg 4(2)

• Core of Assessment

• LPA / SoS have / have access to sufficient expertise to examine ES

Regulations 4 - New

iema.net

○ Population and human health○ Biodiversity , particular species

and habitats 92/43/EEC & 2009/147/EC

○ Land○ Soil

○ Water○ Air○ Climate○ Material assets○ Cultural heritage○ Landscape

Broader scope of issues to be considered:

Operational Effects Major Accidents & Disasters

Regulation 4 (2)-(4): Subject Matter of Assessment

Focus on significant effects on listed topics.

Screening – Parts 2 & 3

iema.net

Future Screening Request - A Plan - Description of Development

- Development proposal- Sensitivities of proposed

location- Aspects of Env likely to be

significantly affected- Description of likely significant

effects from a list of specifics- Any other information, developer

wishes to provide incl: mitigation

Current Screening Request - A Plan - Description of Development

- Any other such information the developer wishes to provide

Regulation 6 (2) (a) – (f)Enhanced screening request submission

iema.net

Regulation 76: Screening Transitional Arrangements

Screening

• Screen request / screened prior to 16 May 2017 follow former 2011 Regs (as amended) screening in future.

• Screened on / after 16 May new Regulation for Screening.

Potentially complex LPA to track for next few years.

As such

Consultants need to proactively manage for clients

Part 4:Preparing ES

iema.net

• Scoping Opinions

• Scoping Directions

Reg 17

• Informing LPA of intention to submit an ES

• Triggers LPA to contact CBs who are required to contact developer and indicate the environmental information they have available.

Regulations 15 - 17

Part 5:ES Submission & Decisions

iema.net

Reg 18(3)

• Minimum Content of ES

• Makes reference to amended Schedule 4, reasonable alternatives amends

Reg 18(4)

• ES based on latest scoping opinion

Reg 18(5)

• Developer ensure ES prep Competent Experts

• Statement outlining expertise / qualifications

Regulation 18

iema.netiema.net

Reasonable Alternatives – Schedule 4 (2) & (3)

Remain developer led – ‘studied by the developer’However, more effort may be needed in ES:

reasonable alternatives = (for example in terms of develop’ntdesign, technology, location, size and scale), and • Indication of main reasons selecting chosen option, incl:

comparison of the environmental effects.Plus…• An outline of the likely evolution of baseline scenario without

implementation of the project

iema.net

Scoping

Scoping remains:

• Where requested by developer, a LPA will issue opinion on scope and level of detail for ES.

• LPA consult developer and authorities before it gives opinion.

New element:

Environmental Statement must be “based on” scoping opinion where provided = Regulation 18 (4) (a)

iema.net

ES = ‘based on’ Scoping Opinion

Concerns raised as risk to iterative and proportionate EIA.

DCLG and NI consultations attempt to address in draft Regs:

“based on the most recent scoping opinion or direction issued (so far as the proposed development remains materially the same as the proposed development to that opinion or direction)”

What does this mean?

- Can a 2nd / 3rd scoping opinion be requested?

- What % of development must remain ‘materially the same’ AND who makes this judgement?

iema.net

Reg 25 - Further Info Requests

• Directly relevant to reaching reasoned concs

• Suspend determination

Reg 26 – LPA / SoS

• Examine Env info

• Reach Reasoned Conclusions on Sign Effects

• Integrate Conclusions into decision

• If grant PP, consider whether monitor

• Up-to-date conclusions & Monitoring detail

Regulations 25 and 26

iema.netiema.net

Regulation 27: Co-ordination HRA

2014/52/EU require: HD & BD links.

[Optional: WFD, IED, SEA, etc]

Joint / Co-ordinated approaches available

UK Approach = Consistent across 22 EIA Regimes!• Co-ordinated HRA and EIA, but NO wider linkages in Regulations

• Co-ordinated by LPA / SoS

Part 6: Directions and Decisions Availability

Reg 29 – Info accompany Decision

• Reasoned conclusions

• Conditions

• Design features & mitigation

• monitoring

iema.net

Parts 7 - 11 7. Specific cases

8. Unauthorised development

9. ROMP

10. Sign Transboundary Effects

11. Exemptions

Part 12:Miscellaneous

• Reg 64: Objectivity & Bias

• Reg 71: Review EIA Regs

• Reg 76: Transition and Revocation

iema.net

Transitional Arrangements – Regulation 76

Screening

• Screened prior to 16 May 2017 follow existing screening in future.

• Screened on / after 16 May new Regulation for Screening.

The Rest of EIA Amends

• Scoping request / ES submission pre-16 May, existing Regs.

• Scoping request / ES sub on / after 16 May, new Regs.

Potentially complex for CA / LPA to track for next few years.

IEMA Support

iema.net

IEMA 2017 EIA Regulations Roll-out

• Today!: EIA Regulations launch conference, London

• 17 May: EIA Regulations launch webinar

• 24 May: Scottish EIA Regulations launch conference

• 31 May: Welsh EIA Regulations workshop: Feat: Welsh Govt

• 13 July: Webinar on Major Accidents / Disasters

• 18 July: Liverpool,within Proportionate EIA Strategy launch event

Nothing near you – Organise one! With the IA Network & your Region

iema.net

IEMA & EIA Transitional Guidance

Recent / New Guidance on:

• Shaping Quality Development (Alternatives & Scoping) – Nov ‘15

• Climate Change Resilience & Adaptation – Nov ‘15

• Delivering Quality Development (Monitor & mitigate) – July ‘16

• Climate Change GHG Emissions – Today

• Health – Today

https://www.iema.net/policy/ia/eia-transposition

iema.net

Q&A

Josh Fothergill

E: j.fothergill@iema.net

@jfothergilliema

Recommended