Environment: assessment of effects of certain plans and programmes

The Commission's amended proposal took up the European Parliament's amendments that underline the importance of sustainable development as a vital objective of the European Union, which explain the fact that the envisaged procedure is a minimal procedure, and which stresses the advantages of the undertaking of strategic environmental assessments to companies in providing tham with a more coherent framework for the deployment of their activities. The introduction of suitable deadlines seeks to maintain the length of the consultation procedure within reasonable limits while giving sufficient time to enable the interested public and the environment authorities to be consulted. The EP amendment which proposes that the application of the Directive and the effectiveness of its provisions should be the subject of a first evaluation after five years after its entry into force, and subsequently re-examined every seven years. The deadline for the implementation of the Directive was amended and a target date set by which Member States should transmit a list of plans and programmes that will fall within the scope of the Directive. The same date will be applicable for the publication of this list by the Commission. The Commission fixed at two years the deadlines for these purposes. Lastly, it should be noted that several improvements proposed by the Parliament with respect to the information to be provided in the report with the declaration on environmental effects were incorporated in the annex.�