Requirements on EIA Quality Management

Abstract

Quality management as an integrated part of EIA procedures is an important current challenge to focus on. Even those countries, where EIA is already implemented in national law and has become a standard instrument to assess the environmental effects of projects, plans or programmes, need requirements to ensure good EIA quality. For example, the European Commission stresses the need of quality assurance in their third 5-years report, reviewing the operation of the EIA directive, adopted in 1985 (EU Commission 2003):

“The quality of the EIA process, and especially the EIS, are the key for an effective EIA. The Commission urges those Member States that have yet to do so to introduce formal provisions for the review of the environmental information supplied by the developer to ensure strict compliance with the terms of the EIA Directive. Such measures could comprise the establishment of expert pools, guidelines on the coordination of experts, clear instructions about responsibilities, the use of independent external expert review etc. Another tool of quality control could be the introduction of an efficient post-decision monitoring system.” Furthermore, the EIA Directive Guidance Group emphasis the need of quality management in their “Topic — Quality assurance - best practices”, published in April 2005. An essential conclusion is, that good and efficient EIAs need both

• an efficient EIA procedure comprising a systematic participation of all concerned authorities, experts, stakeholders, NGOs and the public and

• an understandable Environmental Impact Study or Environmental Impact Statement considering all significant likely effects.