Strategic Environmental Assessment in Norway

Abstract

General EIA legislation at the project level was introduced in 1990. Since then, all major developments considered to have a significant impact on the environment, natural resources or the community — altogether more than 220 project — have been subject to EIA. Norway is a party to the European Economic Area Agreement, and hence obliged to transpose all relevant directives in the field of environment into domestic legislation from the day of entry, which was 1 January 1995. (Norway is in a position to accecpt or decline to accept new EU directives adopted after that date, but will — in according with the present policy — normally accept new environment directives.) As from 1 January 1997 new legislation, with corresponding regulations, was therefore introduced somewhat belated, transposing Council Directive 85/337 as well as the UN ECE Convention on EIA in a transboundary context into the Planning and Building Act PBL. ElAs of offshore oil and gas activities are carried out according to the Petroleum Act.