Environment: assessment of effects of certain plans and programmes

The committee adopted the recommendation for second reading by Inger SCHÖRLING (Greens/EFA, S) amending the Council's common position on the directive on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. The amendments broadly sought to reinstate Parliament's position at first reading and focused mainly on: widening the scope of the directive by not limiting it to plans and programmes which set the framework for future development consent of projects; limiting the number of exemptions by including extractive industry and financial plans and by closing the loophole for Member States to exclude entire categories of plans and programmes from the scope of the directive; the possible inclusion of policies in the future review of the directive, thereby expanding its scope; improving information requirements and transparency by enlarging the definition of "the public" and by involving the public concerned at an earlier stage in the decision-making process; improving consultation with countries outside the Community which are likely to be affected by plans and programmes carried out in one of the Member States; and improving the quality of SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) reports by prescribing that Member States take appropriate measures to guarantee that reports meet at least the minimum requirements of the directive and that these measures are communicated to the Commission.�