The document provides guidance from the European Commission on strategic environmental assessment and the environmental impact assessment process. It discusses three key stages of EIA: screening, scoping, and review of environmental impact statements. The guidance describes the screening requirements in the European Union, including determining if EIA is mandatory, exempt, or requires case-by-case examination based on the project type and potential environmental impacts. It outlines the screening process and provides tools to help determine if a project is likely to have significant environmental effects.

1. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
European Union Guidance on EIA
Presented to
Dr. Muhammad Anwar Baig
Presented by
Zainab Zahid
Environmental Sciences

2. Guidance on EIA
European Commission has published three guidance documents
concerning three specific stages in the EIA process:
• Screening
• Scoping
• EIS Review.
Aim
The aim of the guidance is:
 To provide practical help to those involved in these stages in the
EIA process.
 It is hoped that better decisions will be made on the need for EIA.
 The EIS Review guidance aims to help developers and their
consultants prepare better quality Environmental Impact
Statements for an effective review.

3. The guidance document comprises two main parts (part A and B), a
supporting checklist and appendices.
 Part A describes the screening requirements of European Council
(EC) Directive.
 Part B of the guidance offers practical advice on screening (to
determine steps to be followed to find whether EIA is required or
not).
PART A
Screening in EIA
 Screening is the process of determining whether EIA is required or
not for a particular project.
 Before giving consent, it is important to ensure that significant effects
on the environment by their nature, size or location are made subject
to an assessment with regard to their effects.

4. The Screening Requirements
The requirements for screening are present in Article 4 of Directive. Article 4(1) requires
that “…projects listed in Annex I shall be made subject to an assessment…”.
Annex I
 EIA is mandatory for the categories of projects listed in Annex I.
 It defines about 21 categories of projects for which EIA is mandatory. Screening of
these projects must lead to a “yes” decision that EIA is required.
 For example, crude-oil refineries, thermal power stations, chemical installations,
waste disposal installations etc.
 Article 4(2) requires that for “…projects listed in Annex II, the Member States shall
determine through two ways.

5. Annex II
It defines about 80 categories of listed projects, for which the decision for carrying out
EIA is done through
 (a) a case-by-case examination, or
 (b) thresholds and criteria set by the Member State that they are likely to have
significant effects on the environment and whether the project shall be made
subject to an assessment.
These require competent authorities to consider the
 sensitivity of project locations
 potential impacts
 characteristics of projects in deciding whether EIA is needed.
For example agriculture, infrastructure projects, food industry etc.

6. Annex III
Competent Authorities must take into account the selection criteria set out in Annex III
of the Directive when making screening decisions on a case-by case basis and when
setting thresholds and criteria for projects requiring EIA.
The selection criteria includes
 Characteristics of project (size, use of natural resources, waste generation).
 Location of project (wetland, forest, coastal zone, densely populated area).
 Characteristics of potential impacts (probability, extent, magnitude, duration,
frequency, probability).

7. The EIA Process
Project Preparation
Prepare project
proposal
Notification to
Competent Authority
Screening
Submission of Environmental
Information to Competent Authority
Scooping
Environmental
Studies
Consideration of the Environmental
Information by the Competent
Authority before making
Development Consent Decision
Consultation with
Statutory Environmental
Authorities, Other
Interested Parties and the
Public
Review of Adequacy
of the Environmental
Information
Post-Decision Monitoring if
Project is Granted Consent
Announcement of
Decision
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5 6
7 8 9
10 11

8. Habitat Directive Assessment:
Member states must implement the legislation to carry out assessment for any project
which is likely to have significant impacts on nature under Special Area of
Conservation.
Initiating the Screening Process:
 Developers are required to notify the competent authority to make an application
for development consent for any Annex I or II project.
 The competent authority must then make an explicit and formal screening decision
and advise the developer and the public whether EIA is required.
 Developers may either submit environmental information voluntarily with their
development consent application, or submit an application without environmental
information.

9. PART B
Potential Overlaps between Screening and Scoping
 Information which is used in making a screening decision may subsequently be
used at the scoping stage.
 In some regimes a preliminary assessment is undertaken to assist in the screening
decision. If a decision is made that EIA is required, the information from the
preliminary assessment may also be used for scoping.

10. Steps in Screening:
 The process will proceed through these steps until a decision is made on whether
or not EIA is required. If a decision can be made at an early stage then the process
can stop and the later steps will not be required.
1. Is the Project an Annex I or II Project?
2. Is the Project on a Mandatory List Requiring EIA?
3. Is the Project on an Exclusion List Exempting it from EIA?
4. Case-by-Case Consideration: Is the Project Likely to have Significant Effects on
the Environment?
5. Recording and Publicising the Screening Decision.

11. Screening Tools
1. The Checklists
 Two checklists have been prepared to support and help the
process of deciding whether or not a project is likely to have
significant effects on the environment.
First Screening Checklist:
 It provides a list of questions about the project and its environment which users can
use to help answer the question “Is this project likely to have a significant effect on
the environment?”
Second Screening Checklist:
 It is a Checklist of Criteria for Evaluating the Significance of Environmental
Effects. This is designed to be used alongside the Screening Checklist.
 Checklists are intended to be used quickly by people with the qualifications and
experience typically found in competent authorities.

12. 2. Interpreting the Results
 There is no specific rule that can be used to decide whether the results of using the
Screening Checklist should lead to a positive or negative screening decision (i.e.
that EIA is or is not required).
 If there is one “Yes” answer to the question is it likely to result in a significant effect,
EIA may be required. EIA process will help to clarify the uncertainty.
3. Using the Checklists as a Record and Preparing Project Specific Checklists
 The Screening Checklist is designed to be applicable to all types of projects.
 It will be of particular use to competent authorities who must record the reasons for
their screening decisions, as the completed forms will provide a written record of
the factors that have been considered.
 Developers and competent authorities who deal with only certain types of projects
may find it helpful to prepare shortened versions of the checklists focusing on only
relevant questions.