Implementation of the EU SEA Directive in Norway

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Implementation of the EU SEA Directive in Norway
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EIA in Norway

• EIA legislation 1990, amended in 1996 (85/337)
  and 1999 (97/11)
• Seperat Chapter of the Planning and Building Act
  covers projects demanding planning permit and
  projects subjected to sectoral laws

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EIA in Norway (2)

• Main features
• Strong empasis on early scoping project specific
  study programmes.
• Broad scope EIA covers environment, natural
  ressources and community issues.
• About 600 projects 1990 - 2003

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SEA, changing EIA

• 2002 Planning commision
• Mandate proposing a new Planning and Bulding
  Act Modernization, cost-effectiv planning,
  sustainable development, integration of EIA and
  planning
• Implementing the SEA Directive

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Integration of EIA in planning

• Objectives
• Avoid duplicating processes
• Strengthen the relevance of the EIA
• Increasing the political relevance
• Taking the EIA report, and consultatio, into
  account
• Connecting EIA and SEA

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Implications SEA Directive

• SEA for local and regional land use planning
• Sectoral plans or programmes are few, and not
  regulated by legislative, regulatory or
  administrative order (Article 2 a)

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SEA Directiv legal implication

• County / regional land use plans
• The land-use part of the municipal master plan
• Municipal land use plans for part of the
  minicipality
• Local development plans and building development
  plans which are likely to have significant
  environmental impacts

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New regulations

• Changes to the Planning and Building Act
• New Section 16-1 Environmental assessment for
  plans which is likely to have significant impacts
• Revised Chapter VII-a Environmental Impact
  assessment general regulations for both
  projects and plans
• Work plan New regulations presented for the
  Parliament january 2004, law and provisions into
  force 1.01.2005

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Provisions

• Changes to the national Annex I list / dropping
  Annex II-list ?
• Screening criteria broadening the scop of the
  criteria (helth, society) and making the criteria
  relevant for both projects (EIA) and local plans
  (SEA)
• EIA/SEA report scope and level of detail of
  information