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HomeA review of European Union legal provisions on the environmental impact assessment of non-energy minerals extraction projects
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Raw materials are essential to our modern lifestyle. They are used in a wide range of applications from building materials to food industries, clean energy or electronics. In 2008, the European Commission adopted the Raw Materials Initiative, which is targeted at the secure access to raw materials both within the EU and globally. It identified a range of objectives and actions, inter alia, conducting resource efficient exploration, securing the access to domestic mineral reserves and promoting streamlined permitting. Non-energy extractive industries (NEEI) sites, if not properly designed and managed, may have significant impacts on the environment. Effects depend, inter alia, on the type of mineral, extraction methodology, substances used in mineral treatment, extractive waste characteristics, site-specific environmental conditions and the way extractive waste is managed. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive provides a framework to avoid, prevent or reduce and, if possible, offset likely significant adverse effects on the environment at the earliest possible stage in technical planning and decision-making for certain public and private projects. This study is intended to assist the sector in achieving fluent approval of EIA reports and streamlined environmental permitting. It is a concise document for developers, competent authorities, the public, and the “public concerned” encompassing all the relevant Community legislation. It provides a review of the key environmental factors and some impact assessment elements along the mining life cycle phases, in addition to a few good practice cases. It also reviews the risk assessment methodologies, environmental monitoring, mitigation measures and assessment of alternatives, as well as environmental liability and information management issues. The list of potential key environmental aspects and impacts is not exhaustive. Environmental factors and related risks not mentioned in this document need to be addressed in the EIA of a given project. The document has limited emphasis on permitting procedural issues and it does not provide a review of the state-of-art in Member States. This document is not binding in any way for developers or competent authorities in their application of the EIA Directive and its transposed national laws. The requirements for an environmental impact assessment are exclusively regulated in the EIA-Directive. Where this document goes beyond the requirements of the EIA or treats topics that are not covered by the EIA, the explanations and statements shall be understood as non binding opinions and recommendations. It is the exclusive mandate of the Court of Justice of the European Union to authoritatively interpret EU Community law. Nevertheless, this study may constitute the basis for a later EU guidance document if all stakeholders support the concept and show interest in its further development.
- Published:
- Themes: Law and justice , Coal — Hydrocarbons
- Subject: environmental impact , environmental law , environmental liability , environmental protection , EU law , industrial project , mining extraction , project evaluation , raw material , research report
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| ISSN 1831-9424 | ISBN 978-92-76-38988-0 | DOI 10.2760/705726 | Catalogue number KJ-NA-30743-EN-N |
- Released on EU publications website:
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