Housing, construction and planning authority
Environmental impact assessment of projects
Notification process
Projects in Category B listed in Annex I of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act must be notified to HMS, which assesses in each case whether they are subject to environmental impact assessment. The same applies to proposed projects that fall below the thresholds specified in the annex but are located within a protected area.
Process
The decision-making process for determining whether a notified project is subject to assessment is as follows:
The developer submits a notification of the project to HMS, which then determines in each case whether the project shall be subject to an environmental impact assessment.
In the notification, the developer provides information on the proposed project, its location, and its main potential environmental impacts, and requests a decision from the agency on whether the project is subject to assessment.
HMS seeks comments from relevant consultation bodies, depending on the nature of the case, such as permitting authorities or specialist institutions.
The developer is given the option to respond to comments before the agency makes its decision on whether the project is subject to an environmental assessment. HMS' decision is advertised, published on Skipulagsgátt, planning portal and presented on the HMS website.
If it is decided that the project requires an environmental impact assessment, the developer proceeds with the .
Decisions by the Planning Agency on the assessment requirement for Category B projects can be found in the Environmental Assessment Database.