New EIA Regulations for Agriculture
The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006 No.2522) were laid before Parliament on 15th September 2006 and will be fully in force by 10th October 2006. These Regulations revoke an earlier version of the regulations, laid before Parliament on 7th September 2006.
These Regulations implement Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (as last amended by Directive 2003/35/EC, collectively referred to as “the EIA Directive”), in particular including two types of project as detailed within paragraph 1 of Annex II to that Directive: projects for the restructuring of rural land holdings, and projects for the use of uncultivated land and semi-natural areas for intensive agricultural purposes.
They also implement Council Directive 1992/43/EEC (”the Habitats Directive”) insofar as those projects affect sites protected by that Directive.
A full EIA may be required if the types of project described above exceed the size thresholds detailed in Schedule 1 of the Regulations. The full text of the Regulations is available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062522.htm
Source: www.opsi.gov.uk (accessed 03/10/06)