Suggestions on amendments of the EIA Directive

Based on the national roadmaps produced by the ConnectGREEN project, a detailed report on the possibilities to improve the EIA Directive was elaborated. The feasibility check is important in order to understand the chances to perform a fitness check and improve the EIA Directive, which is applied differently in the participating countries of ConnectGREEN. It is needed to perform such an analysis of conflicts in relation to the EIA process for nature protection, especially concerning ecological corridors, together with conservationists, representatives of businesses performing such assessments, of academia, protected areas, etc. The EIA assessments should be performed according to the same principles across the countries. The process of changing Directives is slow and complex and needs thorough assessments, such as this document. This approach itself — of raising awareness on the weaknesses and recommendations related to EIA processes among this target group — is expected, to some extent, to improve the studies. However, for a greater impact, the improvement of the EIA Directive will be needed, which will be pushed on the EU’s agenda with the occasion of programming of EU national and operational programmes which are in the revision phase. The programming process of these EU national and operational programmes (under the CAP and Cohesion Policy) creates the possibility and also the premises to raise the issue of improving the Directive with this occasion by contributing with input and recommendations both in writing as well as by participating in the various consultation meetings that were organized by the partnership.