Sittings · Document
On the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Antonio Decaro
The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety proposes amendments to the proposed regulation on speeding up permit-granting for defence readiness projects.¶¶ The amendments keep environmental rules as part of permit procedures while combining required assessments, and set the permit process at 60 working days after certain environmental impact assessment steps end.¶¶ They add safeguards: no project splitting that harms overall environmental effects, extensions for environmental and climate risks, and combined assessments under several environmental directives.¶¶¶ They require single points of contact to inform promoters about environmental impact assessments and to publish permit decisions, with limited grounds to refuse environmental information.¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety proposes amendments to the lead committees to keep environmental safeguards, combine assessments, set a 60-working-day permit process after certain environmental impact assessment steps, and add transparency and information duties.¶¶¶
Key points
- Environmental assessments required by Union law should be combined to avoid duplication and overlap, without lowering protection standards or assessment quality.¶
- When a project needs an environmental impact assessment under Directive 2011/92/EC, steps (i) and (ii) of its timeline are excluded from the permit-granting duration.¶
- The permit-granting process, including the permit, must not exceed 60 working days from when the environmental impact assessment steps and public consultation are concluded and the application is submitted.¶
- The rule on project splitting does not apply where the overall project requires environmental assessment or decision-making under Directives 2001/42/EC, 2011/92/EU, 92/43/EEC, 2009/147/EC and 2000/60/EC; splitting must be justified and must not compromise overall environmental effects.¶
- A member state may extend the time limits by 60 days, within 30 days of the start of the process, where a project raises exceptional risks for the environment and climate or for health and safety.¶
- Where national law already provides for it, permits are deemed granted if the single point of contact does not inform the promoter in time, and written confirmation must be delivered promptly.¶
- The single point of contact must notify the promoter when an environmental impact assessment applies and provide information on the scope and level of detail of the assessment report.¶
- Authorities preparing plans, including zoning, spatial and land use plans, should include provisions for defence readiness activities, projects and infrastructure, giving priority to artificial and built surfaces, industrial sites and brownfield sites.¶
- Assessments under Directive 2001/42/EC and Article 6 of Directive 92/43/EEC must be combined, covering water bodies, marine environment impacts and land-sea interactions, without affecting content or quality, within the regulation's time limits.¶
- Where environmental assessment obligations arise simultaneously from two or more listed directives, member states may provide for coordinated and/or joint procedures.¶
- All permit decisions must be publicly available in an easily understandable manner on the same website, and environmental information may be refused only if disclosure would adversely affect national defence or public security.¶
Who is affected
- Project promoters of defence readiness projects, who must be informed about environmental impact assessment requirements and permit outcomes.¶¶¶
- National, regional and local authorities preparing plans, who should include defence readiness provisions and ensure spatial planning data is online.¶
- Member states, which may extend time limits, provide for joint procedures and must publish permit decisions.¶¶¶
- Single points of contact, which must notify promoters, deliver written confirmation and provide assessment information.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- 60 working days, the maximum duration of the permit-granting process from the conclusion of environmental impact assessment steps and submission of the application.¶
- 60 days, the possible extension of time limits where a project raises exceptional risks for the environment and climate or health and safety.¶
- 30 days from the start of the permit-granting process, the deadline for a member state to decide on an extension.¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.