Session 3: Ulla Steen - Environmental Permitting of Infrastructure projects
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Presentation from 2025 Conference on Accelerating Infrastructure Permitting. For further information please see www.oecd.org/gov
Session 3: Ulla Steen - Environmental Permitting of Infrastructure projects
- 1. En v ir o nme n tal Pe r mittin g o f In fr a s tru ctu re p r o je c ts – H o w to u n tie c o mp lex r e g ula tio n e limin a te d e la y in g fa c to r s , a n d s u p p o r t d e c is io n - mak in g ? U l l a S t e e n , A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r, P h . D . i n L a w U n i v e r s i t y o f A a l b o r g , D e n m a r k
- 2. P A G E 2 The Gordia n K not of re gula t ion – Int e rna t iona l, EU , a nd na t iona l le ve ls Environmental permitting of infrastructure project - comprehensive and complex … however, it is not easy to untie the Gordian knot of tiered international, EU and EU Member State legislation ... what can be done to eliminate delaying factors and make specific decision-making processes less complex ? My presentation will address: The tiered regulatory systems in EU perspective Breaking down EIA processes and further permitting - experience, barriers, possibilities/new instruments Speeding up permitting of infrastructure projects – already existing concepts, and further possible developments C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 3. P A G E 3 The Tie re d R e gula t ory Sys t e ms in EU Pe rs pe c t ive C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s International Regulatory Systems Climate, Biodiversity/Flora/Fauna Espoo, Aarhus Convention EU Regulatory Systems EIA Directive Habitat and Birds Directives, Water Framework Directive EU MS Traditions Principles EU law making EU MS 27 Climate obj. Organisational Procedural Substantive rules
- 4. P A G E 4 The Tie re d R e gula t ory Sys t e ms in EU Pe rs pe c t ive Are there any obvious delaying factors embedded in the EU regulatory framework itself: YES The EIA Directive – CJEU rulings – 2022 report -140 pages. Habitat Directive – Water Framework Directive – substantive requirements in annexes. Significance, distance, partial damage. EIA and Habitat, Birds, and Water Framework Directive coordination of EA. Advance in technical developments and new scientific insights – enormous amount of available data – reflected in annexes Public Participation wide scope of stakeholders and consultations – ‘necessary delays’ The initially possible delaying factors tend to be amplified when large infrastructure projects undergo EIA and further permitting C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 5. P A G E 5 C u r r e n t l e g i s l a t i ve d e ve l o p m e n t s ‘ o n e - s t o p - s h o p ’ a n d t i m i n g o f p e r m i t t i n g p h a s e s C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s • Widespread recognition of the need to speed up and simplify the environmental permitting process for infrastructure projects – (Renewable Energy 2023, American Dashboard Solution, and other initiatives) • Obvious new instruments: Digital and AI solutions can facilitate the necessary and relevant coordination • Four decades of experience shows that EIA and subsequent permitting processes are complex, tightly regulated and time-consuming • Perspective: New approaches ? Time saving perspectives ?
- 6. P A G E 6 The le gis la t ive r o u t e f rom EIA t o de ve lopment c ons e nt a nd f urt he r pe rmit s • EIA – Environmental Assessment The developer's/consultant's scoping and forecast of the likely impacts of a major infrastructure project is critical to ensure the quality of the EIA report 'climate' and 'biodiversity’ The volume of EIAs is continuously growing – up to 4000 pages. Environmental Assessment Hubs (EA Hubs), including previous EIAs. An AI driven EA Hub has ben launched in Denmark recently. https://eahub.miljoeportal.dk/home Early discussions with the EIA authority, early information and/or early public consultation More radical solution -RES III - EIA authority to issue an opinion on the scope and level of detail of the information to be followed by project developer C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 7. P A G E 7 The le gis la t ive r o u t e f rom EIA t o de ve lopment c ons e nt a nd f urt he r pe rmit s • EIA – impact assessments, public participation,, review by court or impartial body • The important part : Keeping the ideology behind public participation alive - Starting with the EIA Directive , 1985 followed by the Aarhus Convention, 1998 Time saving perspective : Digitalised governance/management/portal systems may assist national (regional/local) EIA authorities in timing simultaneous consultation of relevant authorities, and in public hearings Multi-agency collaboration hubs are under development Digital public participation (access to information) On-line public participation Project websites Developer/EIA authority challenges: high number of public responses – (German part of the Fehmern Belt link/railway - 16.000 public comments) C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 8. P A G E 8 The le gis la t ive r o u t e f rom EIA t o de ve lopment c ons e nt a nd f urt he r pe rmit s • EIA – impact assessments, public participation, review by court or impartial body • Depending on the organisation of national legal systems, EIA-related matters like • whether the process set out in EIA legislation has been followed and whether the content of the EIA-report is compliant • Administrative review bodies or courts with a further right of appeal to a second level of appeal (court/higher court) • Other administrative permit decisions do also include rights to review according to EU legislation. • In some countries reviews lead to suspensive effect on further development of an infrastructure project until final decision, while in others the project process may continue at the developer's risk. • Review by court should not be counted as delaying factor in the EIA processes and other permitting C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 9. P A G E 9 The le gis la t ive r o u t e f rom EIA t o de ve lopment c ons e nt a nd f urt he r pe rmit s • EIA – impact assessments, public participation, review by court or impartial body, development consent, further permits EIA development consent – EIA Directive lists relevant considerations and content Stationary installations – IE Directive, Renewable Energy Directive (including establishment of) grid infrastructure The EIA Directive allows for combining EIA and IE related permits Example major road projects - Further permits – to be achieved in consecutive construction phases and may include numerous regional and local authorities. The route to one stop entry/coordinated permitting C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 10. P A G E 1 0 The le gis lat ive r o u t e t o ‘one s t op ent ry’ /coordina t e d e nvironme nt al pe rmit t ing The EU Renewable Energy Directive (2018 and 2023) • Renewable energy facilities – inside/outside deployment sites • Overall timeframe - 2 years - the whole application and permit granting process • One point entry - developer (private) – advice and clarification of required permits, identification of involved authorities. • EIA – simplified or EIA authority to issue an opinion on the scope and level of detail of the information to be included by the project developer in the environmental impact assessment report. • Application handling and granting of different permits take place simultaneously as far as possible C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 11. P A G E 1 1 The le gis lat ive r o u t e t o ‘one s t op ent ry’ /coordina t e d e nvironme nt al pe rmit t ing The EU Renewable Energy Directive (2018 and 2023) • Requirements to introduce fully digital permit-granting procedures and e-communication. https://youtu.be/MO4C_L2DJKM . • Digital tools to monitor and enforce the deadlines set and to inform applicants of the status of their application. • An online manual of procedures must be made available, including a clear sequential description of the stages and binding deadlines for each stage of the permit-granting process, • Templates for applications, information on options for public participation and on administrative charges. C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 12. P A G E 1 2 The le gis lat ive r o u t e t o ‘one s t op ent ry’ /coordina t e d e nvironme nt al pe rmit t ing • Emergency Regulation 2022/2024 – EU Green Deal objectives and phasing out of Russian gas • The EU Renewable Energy Directive (2018 and 2023) • Renewable energy facilities – inside/outside deployment sites • the concept of overriding public interest in terms of health and safety – takes precedence in the balancing with other interests in decision making at project level (until climate change goals have been reached) – e.g biodiversity concerns – Habitat Directive Article 6 (4) • Climate change concerns vs. biodiversity • Offsets of biodiversity – compensatory measures have been reserved for rare exemptions C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 13. P A G E 1 3 C o n c l u s i o n : s p e e d i n g u p o f e n v i r o n m e n t a l p e r m i t t i n g - i s i t p o s s i b l e w i t h o u t c o m p r o m i s i n g p r o t e c t i o n o f h u m a n h e a l t h a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t • New radical ‘thinking outside of the (regulatory) box’ – Difficult exercise • Regulations on protection of human health and environment were made for a reason • Does the regulation of environmental permitting of infrastructure projects include too many rules – problem: substantive complex rules of technical nature • Do we miss important elements if we speed up permitting – not necessarily – Time saving aspects • EIA – Environmental Assessments – avoidance of cut and paste – use of digital/AI based tools – learning from others • Stakeholder/Public participation - exercise of simultaneous consultations supported by digitized systems, websites ect. • One entry point and coordinated permitting - unified single application and permitting granting process - on-line permitting – distinguish between project types and give it a try ? • The concept of ‘overriding public interest in terms of health and safety’ in balancing of interests in decision making – Renewable Energy projects – wider considerations on the use of the concept require evaluation of values, policies, and contradictory interests in specific (sector/program) contexts. • Back to the untying of the regulatory systems – where to start ? C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 14. P A G E 1 4 La rge inf ras t ruc ture proje c t a dopt e d by na t iona l le gis la t ion • DK: • National Infrastructure Plan 2035 - Agreement all parties represented in the parliament, list of timing and financing of new state road projects, tunnels, expansion of existing state roads • EIA of the projects – Habitat/Birds ,Water Framework Directive assessments • Proposal Construction Act / The Danish Parliament adopts construction act, along with approval of EIA and possible exemption according to the Habitat Directive Article 6 (4) subsection 1 or 2. • Construction laws are likely to provide a comprehensive framework that embeds and facilitates the concept of coordination of environmental permits required for a given large infrastructure project, as well as expropriation procedures. Ministry of Transport is given (nearly) full implementation rights/also right to derogate from usual procedures. • Danish specific project websites allow for public day to day updates on a state road project that has been adopted by construction law, including uploads of all documentation concerning, EIA, public participation, hearing notes, maps, videos from public consultations expropriation activities etc. https://www.vejdirektoratet.dk/projekt/e45-aarhus-s-aarhus-n (in Danish) C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s
- 15. P A G E 1 5 Environme nt a l pe rmit t ing of la rge inf ra s t ruct ure proje ct s C o m p l e x R e g u l a t o r y S y s t e m s – E n v i r o n m e n t a l P e r m i t t i n g o f L a r g e I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s y s t e m s