Economy and Environment

Environmental Impact Assessment

The "Environmental Impact Assessment" fact sheet provides information on the environmental assessment of public and private projects that are likely to have significant effects on the environment.
Description: 

Impact assessment can be defined as the process of identifying the future consequences of an action. The impact represents the difference between what would happen if no action was taken and what would happen if it was.

Based on these definitions and considering their application to the environment, it was possible to create the concept of "Environmental Impact Assessment" (EIA), which is a process of identification, prediction, assessment and mitigation of the relevant impacts (biophysical, social and other) arising from a given development proposal (project).

It is a preventive tool that ensures, through its procedures, the integration of environmental considerations into the decision-making process for a given project. It is a process supported by studies and consultations with public participation and analysis of possible alternatives, whose purpose is to collect information, identify and predict the environmental effects of certain projects. Based on this information, it is possible to identify measures that avoid, minimise or offset these effects, as well as methods for monitoring their progress.

This tool was first established in European law in 1985 through the adoption of the EIA Directive, which underwent several changes over almost three decades of implementation. The most recent amendment was in 2014 with the publication of Directive 2014/52/EU, which is now being transposed by the Member States.

The EIA Directive was initially transposed into national law in 1990, and the national legal system, like the European, has been the subject of several revision procedures. The last revision was in 2017 with the publication of the current EIA Decree-Law.

Under this legal system, all projects likely to have significant impacts on the environment must be subject to an environmental assessment prior to their licensing or authorisation. A multidisciplinary procedure is established to conduct the assessment, involving several organisations and stages. This fact sheet is intended to describe it.

Depending on the type of project in question, the relevant EIA authority may be the APA or the CCDR with territorial jurisdictions covered by the data contained in this fact sheet.

This fact sheet concerns mainland Portugal and shall be updated on an annual basis.

Objectives and targets: 
  • Strengthen the integration of environmental considerations into the design, development and implementation of projects and into the decision-making process on them;
  • Assess, in an integrated manner, the significant environmental impacts resulting from the implementation of the projects, in order to support the decision on their environmental feasibility, as well as to analyse a posteriori the effectiveness of the outlined measures;
  • Encourage participatory citizenship, ensuring the possibility of public participation in the decision-making process and promoting dissemination and access to information.
Progress analysis:

Assessment processes carried out between 2008 and 2018

Source: SIAIA, 2019

In 2019, 31 EIA procedures were started by May 13, more than double of the 14 projects initiated in the same period in the previous year.

The annual development in the number of assessment processes, including both public and private projects, largely reflects the development of the country's economic and financial situation and the investment and strategic development options adopted at the national level.

The number of dossiers submitted annually represents the same relationship, with a downward trend in the number of assessment dossiers since 2008. In 2018, a shift in the downward trend may have been initiated.

In order to better understand this development, it is important to analyse the data on types of project subject to assessment over the same period.

The EIA Directive discriminates typologies of projects that should be subject to evaluation, notwithstanding the need for any project likely to cause significant environmental impacts to be within the scope of this scheme, even if not itemised in these listings.

For some types of project, the EIA Directive sets thresholds as well as criteria for mandatory transposition by the Member States, which have thus been transposed into national law.

For the remaining types, the EIA Directive does not establish thresholds or criteria for assessment, leaving it to the discretion of the Member States to outline the approach to be taken in transposing this annex. In this context, Portugal chose a mixed approach, combining the outlining of thresholds and criteria for mandatory assessment and a case-by-case analysis for examination of the remaining projects.

Development of the number of assessment dossiers by type 2008-2018

Source: SIAIA, 2019

By analysing the development of assessment dossiers by type of project over the last eight years, we can see that, despite a generalised downward trend in the number of projects subject to EIA, now starting to shift, there are different developments among the various types of project.

In 2018, it was found that the largest number of projects were subject to EIA. These values are inextricably linked to the increased production of renewable energy sources, now with particular focus on photovoltaic solar power plants. Energy transport reflects a bit of the dynamics of the productive sector, with projects subject to EIA consisting mainly of electrical infrastructures (lines and substations).

In turn, the transport and associated infrastructure sector was the one that showed the sharpest decline, as a result of the suspension of a significant number of projects integrated in the National Road Plan, as well as projects for developing the High-Speed Railway Network. In 2018, there was a recovery of this sector with an increase in projects mainly related to ports and railways.

The number of projects subject to assessment in the tourism sector, which also showed a sharp decrease between 2012 and 2013, reflecting the economic and financial situation that the country has experienced in recent years, is now is now beginning to rehearse a recovery that stems from the strategies of promoting the country as a tourist destination.

Urban and commercial zones attest to the economic recovery of the country. On the one hand, industrial developments reflect the need for spatial planning, creating infrastructure spaces for industry and, on the other hand, the incentive to create jobs, especially in the innermost areas of the country.

Projects subject to EIA by type 2008-2018

Source: SIAIA, 2019

By observing the total number of assessment dossiers by type of project, between 2008 and 2018, we can see that the mining industry remains the type with the highest number of occurrences, followed by agriculture (this sector is mainly represented by poultry holdings and pig farms). It should be noted that both sectors have undergone extraordinary periods of regularisation, which may partly explain the great significance of these typologies in the application scope of the EIA legal system.

Under the generic name 'water resources' are included hydraulic infrastructures (dams and hydraulic circuits), most of which refer to Alqueva irrigation systems, as well as some projects to rectify watercourses and coastal interventions.

Processes related to the disposal of waste have experienced some dynamics when they were installed throughout the country. Now this typology appears sporadically, associated mainly to the expansion or changes associated with existing facilities.

EIA processes regarding the decision issued 2008-2018

Source: SIAIA, 2019

To understand the application of this environmental assessment tool, statistics associated with the central decision of the procedure established by this legal system - the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - are also relevant. This decision may be favourable, favourable with conditions or unfavourable, and it is binding upon the subsequent licensing or approval of the project.

It should be noted that the decisions are counted according to the year in which the decision was issued and not the year in which the dossier was submitted. It should also be noted that some dossiers may be closed at the request of the applicant or closed due to non-compliance with the Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

Most of the decisions are favourable, imposing a set of conditions to be met by the project sponsor for the purposes of licensing or authorisation (conditions for the development of the project, mitigation measures for construction, operation and decommissioning stages, monitoring plans, etc.).

Only a few assessment dossiers (about 5%) result in an unfavourable decision.

In 2019, the data recorded up to May 13 shows a similar trend, with twelve cases with EID already issued, registering only one unfavourable decision.

Last update: 
Tuesday, 21 May, 2019
More information at: 

Portuguese Environment Agency – www.apambiente.pt
Information System for EIA – siaia.apambiente.pt