SI 2017/572.

The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. Comes into force 16^th May. These regulations revoke and replace Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2263) and amendments.  The main changes from SI 2009/2263 are:

• to the circumstances in which a project may be exempt from the EIA process;
• the introduction of co-ordinated procedures for projects which are also subject to assessment under Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora or Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of Wild Birds;
• to the list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process;
• to the information to be provided to inform a screening decision and the criteria to be applied when making a screening decision;
• to the way in which an environmental statement is to be prepared
• to the means by which the public is to be informed of projects which are subject to the EIA process;
• and a requirement for decision-makers to avoid conflicts of interest.