Brussels, 30/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - Trialogue negotiations are to open on 5 November between the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission on the update of the directive on the assessment of the impact of various public and private projects on the environment (Directive 85/337/EEC, known as the EIA directive), the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council announced on Thursday 30 October.
On the same day, the ambassadors of the 28 EU member states, meeting within the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), gave the Presidency a mandate to start negotiations in the hope of reaching a first-reading agreement on the revision of this directive, aiming to streamline its procedures. The Lithuanian Presidency stressed its confidence that the hoped-for agreement would be reached under this legislative period.
“We are aware of the complexity of the dossier. However, we believe that a rational solution improving the quality and accountability of EIA procedures in the member states, and guaranteeing a better inclusion of the EIA results in the decision-making processes, can be reached in the next few months”, said the Lithuanian ambassador, Arunas Vinciunas. This dossier is one of the priorities of the Presidency in the field of the environment.
Readers may recall that the European Parliament recently took position on this draft revised directive, calling for exploration and mining activities for shale gas by means of fracking to be the subject of an obligatory prior impact assessment (see EUROPE 10939). (AN/transl.fl)