Environmental impact assessment of projects involves evaluating and informing about the likely environmental effects of specific projects. The impacts are analyzed, their significance assessed and recommendations made on how to respond to them.

The outcome of the environmental assessment is used to decide whether to grant a permit for the project. If a permit is granted, the assessment results are used during the design and implementation of the project to minimize its negative environmental impacts.

The environmental assessment of projects is intended to:

• Ensure that the impact of certain projects on the environment has been assessed before decisions on permits are made.

• Ensure that the public has the opportunity to participate in and influence the environmental assessment.

• Identify how adverse effects of projects can be mitigated through mitigation measures and project design.

It also states which projects are always subject to environmental assessment and which are subject to notification. It is necessary to assess in each case whether a project subject to notification should undergo environmental assessment.

Roles of Parties in Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental assessments are carried out by a number of different actors, which play different roles:

• The developers or project proponents are responsible for the environmental impace assessment. They request decisions on whether projects subject to notification require an EIA and prepare and submit an environmental impact assessment report.

• Municipalities issue building and development permits after the EIA process is completed.

• Public institutions provide comments on certain aspects of the environmental impact assessment, for example, the Environment Agency provides comments on pollution issues and the Cultural Heritage Agency on cultural heritage matters. Public institutions may also be licensors. For instance, the Environment Agency issues operating permits for factories, the Food and Veterinary Authority grants licenses related to fish farming and the National Energy Authority grants permits for seabed extraction outside municipal boundaries.

• The public can submit comments and feedback on proposed projects and their environmental assessment when the scoping and the environmental assessment report are presented on Skipulagsgátt, planning portal.

• The National Planning Agency oversees the implementation of the laws and regulations on environmental impact assessment of projects and plans. The Agency:

  • Decides whether projects subject to notification require an environmental impact assessment.

  • Presents the developers' scoping documents and environmental assessment reports.

  • Issues opinions on scoping documents and on environmental assessment of a project, based on the environmental assessment report of the developer and received comments on it.

  • Maintains and disseminates information on decisions regarding assessment obligations and projects that have undergone an environmental impact assessment.

  • Operates a database on environmental impact assessments and maintains Skipulagsgátt, planning portal, a consultation portal for environmental impact assessments and permits and planning matters.