In the case of certain projects, the Office for the Environment must, at the request of the project sponsor or ex officio, examine whether a project may have a significant impact on the environment in accordance with Art. 7 and 8 EIAA. If significant impacts cannot be ruled out in this individual 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 EIA Act.

Information and documents to be submitted

The Office for the Environment examines the project for its potential environmental impact using a decision matrix.

Decision matrix for individual assessment

The environmental impact assessment is a procedure consisting of several steps in accordance with Articles 6 to 20 of the EIA Act for public and private projects that may have a significant impact on the environment due to their type, size or location.

As part of this procedure, the direct and indirect significant effects of a public or private project are identified, described and assessed on a case-by-case basis, on a technical basis and with the participation of the public. The following factors must be taken into account:

a) Population and human health;

b) Biological diversity;

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

d) material and cultural assets and landscape;

e) interrelationships between the factors listed under a) to d).

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

The impact is assessed on the basis of the regulations on the protection of nature and the environment. These include, in particular, regulations relating to environmental protection, nature and landscape conservation, water protection, forest conservation, hunting, fishing, species protection, soil conservation, the handling of organisms and climate protection.