Environmental impact assessment (EIA)

The aim of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is to determine, describe and evaluate the direct and indirect effects that a project has or may have on humans, animals and plants, on soil, water, air, climate and landscape, as well as on material and cultural assets, with the participation of the public on a professional basis, whereby interactions of several effects among each other are to be included. The legal basis for this is the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (UVPG).

For certain projects, the Office for the Environment according to Art. 7 and 8 UVPG has to examine, at the request of the project sponsor or ex officio, whether a project may have significant effects on the environment. If significant effects cannot be excluded in this individual case assessment, an EIA procedure must be carried out. 

In order for the individual assessment to be carried out certain documents and information  must be submitted in accordance with Annex 3 UVPG.

Information and documents to be submitted

The Office of the Environment reviews the project for its potential environmental impacts using a decision matrix.

Decision Matrix Single Case Review

Environmental impact assessment is a procedure consisting of several procedural steps pursuant to Articles 6 to 20 of the EIA Law for public and private projects that may have a significant impact on the environment due to their nature, size or location, among other factors.

This process identifies, describes, and evaluates, on a professional basis and with public participation, the direct and indirect significant impacts of a public or private project on a case-by-case basis. The following factors must be taken into account:

a) Population and human health;

b) biological diversity;

c) land area, soil, water, air and climate;

d) material and cultural assets and landscape;

e) interrelationships between the factors mentioned in points (a) to (d).

The impacts on these mentioned factors include the impacts that are expected due to the vulnerability of the project to major accidents and/or disasters and are relevant to the affected project.

The assessment of impacts is based on the regulations on the protection of nature and the environment. This includes, in particular, the regulations concerning environmental protection, nature and landscape conservation, water protection, forest conservation, hunting, fishing, species protection, soil conservation, handling of organisms, and climate protection.

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