Maronnier, C. (2012). Current developments and the future of Environmental Impact Assessments in Europe [Master Thesis, Technische Universität Wien]. reposiTUm. https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubtuw:1-52754
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) were first introduced into European legislation in 1985 through the EIA Directive (85/337/EEC), a directive focusing on the impact of certain public and private projects on the environment. Since then EIA use has spread internationally and has been recognised as an essential component within the environmental area: this decision-making tool is instrumental within sustainable development as well as in stakeholder consultation and participation. After more than twenty-five years of application, the European Union has developed a comprehensive and sophisticated legal framework on Environmental Impact Assessments that has already gone through several reviews. The last review process on the EIA Directive launched in 2010 questioned the effectiveness of this mechanism: the implementation of this complex instrument had led to diverging practices in Member States which in turn affected the overall quality and effectiveness of the EIA process. This Paper aims to introduce the main issues related to the implementation of the current EIA Directive and to suggest modifications based on the viewpoints of the various stakeholders involved in EIA procedures and the practices developed within EU Member States. The EIA and its likely future trends are also brought into consideration through perspectives related to international/regional environmental good governance, transboundary EIA procedures and the link between human rights and the environment.