Council Directive of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (85/337/EEC) (repealed)

[F1ANNEX I U.K. PROJECTS SUBJECT TO ARTICLE 4 (1)

Textual Amendments

1. Crude-oil refineries (excluding undertakings manufacturing only lubricants from crude oil) and installations for the gasification and liquefaction of 500 tonnes or more of coal or bituminous shale per day. U.K.

2.

  • Thermal power stations and other combustion installations with a heat output of 300 megawatts or more, and

  • nuclear power stations and other nuclear reactors including the dismantling or decommissioning of such power stations or reactors (1) (except research installations for the production and conversion of fissionable and fertile materials, whose maximum power does not exceed 1 kilowatt continuous thermal load).

3.

(a)

Installations for the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel.

(b)

Installations designed:

  • for the production or enrichment of nuclear fuel,

  • for the processing of irradiated nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste,

  • for the final disposal of irradiated nuclear fuel,

  • solely for the final disposal of radioactive waste,

  • solely for the storage (planned for more than 10 years) of irradiated nuclear fuels or radioactive waste in a different site than the production site.

4.

  • Integrated works for the initial smelting of cast-iron and steel;

  • Installations for the production of non-ferrous crude metals from ore, concentrates or secondary raw materials by metallurgical, chemical or electrolytic processes.

5. Installations for the extraction of asbestos and for the processing and transformation of asbestos and products containing asbestos: for asbestos-cement products, with an annual production of more than 20 000 tonnes of finished products, for friction material, with an annual production of more than 50 tonnes of finished products, and for other uses of asbestos, utilization of more than 200 tonnes per year. U.K.

6. Integrated chemical installations, i.e. those installations for the manufacture on an industrial scale of substances using chemical conversion processes, in which several units are juxtaposed and are functionally linked to one another and which are: U.K.

(i)

for the production of basic organic chemicals;

(ii)

for the production of basic inorganic chemicals;

(iii)

for the production of phosphorous-, nitrogen- or potassium-based fertilizers (simple or compound fertilizers);

(iv)

for the production of basic plant health products and of biocides;

(v)

for the production of basic pharmaceutical products using a chemical or biological process;

(vi)

for the production of explosives.

7.

(a)

Construction of lines for long-distance railway traffic and of airports (2) with a basic runway length of 2 100 m or more;

(b)

Construction of motorways and express roads (3) ;

(c)

Construction of a new road of four or more lanes, or realignment and/or widening of an existing road of two lanes or less so as to provide four or more lanes, where such new road, or realigned and/or widened section of road would be 10 km or more in a continuous length.

8.

(a)

Inland waterways and ports for inland-waterway traffic which permit the passage of vessels of over 1 350 tonnes;

(b)

Trading ports, piers for loading and unloading connected to land and outside ports (excluding ferry piers) which can take vessels of over 1 350 tonnes.

9. Waste disposal installations for the incineration, chemical treatment as defined in Annex IIA to Directive 75/442/EEC (4) under heading D9, or landfill of hazardous waste (i.e. waste to which Directive 91/689/EEC (5) applies). U.K.

10. Waste disposal installations for the incineration or chemical treatment as defined in Annex IIA to Directive 75/442/EEC under heading D9 of non-hazardous waste with a capacity exceeding 100 tonnes per day. U.K.

11. Groundwater abstraction or artificial groundwater recharge schemes where the annual volume of water abstracted or recharged is equivalent to or exceeds 10 million cubic metres. U.K.

12.

(a)

Works for the transfer of water resources between river basins where this transfer aims at preventing possible shortages of water and where the amount of water transferred exceeds 100 million cubic metres/year;

(b)

In all other cases, works for the transfer of water resources between river basins where the multi-annual average flow of the basin of abstraction exceeds 2 000 million cubic metres/year and where the amount of water transferred exceeds 5 % of this flow.

In both cases transfers of piped drinking water are excluded.

13. Waste water treatment plants with a capacity exceeding 150 000 population equivalent as defined in Article 2 point (6) of Directive 91/271/EEC (6) . U.K.

14. Extraction of petroleum and natural gas for commercial purposes where the amount extracted exceeds 500 tonnes/day in the case of petroleum and 500 000 m 3 /day in the case of gas. U.K.

15. Dams and other installations designed for the holding back or permanent storage of water, where a new or additional amount of water held back or stored exceeds 10 million cubic metres. U.K.

[F216. Pipelines with a diameter of more than 800 mm and a length of more than 40 km: U.K.

  • for the transport of gas, oil, chemicals, and,

  • for the transport of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) streams for the purposes of geological storage, including associated booster stations.]

Textual Amendments

17. Installations for the intensive rearing of poultry or pigs with more than: U.K.

(a)

85 000 places for broilers, 60 000 places for hens;

(b)

3 000 places for production pigs (over 30 kg); or

(c)

900 places for sows.

18. Industrial plants for the U.K.

(a)

production of pulp from timber or similar fibrous materials;

(b)

production of paper and board with a production capacity exceeding 200 tonnes per day.

19. Quarries and open-cast mining where the surface of the site exceeds 25 hectares, or peat extraction, where the surface of the site exceeds 150 hectares. U.K.

20. Construction of overhead electrical power lines with a voltage of 220 kV or more and a length of more than 15 km. U.K.

21. Installations for storage of petroleum, petrochemical, or chemical products with a capacity of 200 000 tonnes or more. U.K.

[F322. Any change to or extension of projects listed in this Annex where such a change or extension in itself meets the thresholds, if any, set out in this Annex.] U.K.

Textual Amendments

[F423. Storage sites pursuant to Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (7) . U.K.

Textual Amendments

24. Installations for the capture of CO 2 streams for the purposes of geological storage pursuant to Directive 2009/31/EC from installations covered by this Annex, or where the total yearly capture of CO 2 is 1,5 megatonnes or more.] U.K.

ANNEX II U.K. PROJECTS SUBJECT TO ARTICLE 4 (2)

1. Agriculture, silviculture and aquaculture U.K.

(a)

Projects for the restructuring of rural land holdings;

(b)

Projects for the use of uncultivated land or semi-natural areas for intensive agricultural purposes;

(c)

Water management projects for agriculture, including irrigation and land drainage projects;

(d)

Initial afforestation and deforestation for the purposes of conversion to another type of land use;

(e)

Intensive livestock installations (projects not included in Annex I);

(f)

Intensive fish farming;

(g)

Reclamation of land from the sea.

2. Extractive industry U.K.

(a)

Quarries, open-cast mining and peat extraction (projects not included in Annex I);

(b)

Underground mining;

(c)

Extraction of minerals by marine or fluvial dredging;

(d)

Deep drillings, in particular:

  • geothermal drilling,

  • drilling for the storage of nuclear waste material,

  • drilling for water supplies,

with the exception of drillings for investigating the stability of the soil;

(e)

Surface industrial installations for the extraction of coal, petroleum, natural gas and ores, as well as bituminous shale.

3. Energy industry U.K.

(a)

Industrial installations for the production of electricity, steam and hot water (projects not included in Annex I);

(b)

Industrial installations for carrying gas, steam and hot water; transmission of electrical energy by overhead cables (projects not included in Annex I);

(c)

Surface storage of natural gas;

(d)

Underground storage of combustible gases;

(e)

Surface storage of fossil fuels;

(f)

Industrial briquetting of coal and lignite;

(g)

Installations for the processing and storage of radioactive waste (unless included in Annex I);

(h)

Installations for hydroelectric energy production;

(i)

Installations for the harnessing of wind power for energy production (wind farms) [F2;]

(j)

[F4Installations for the capture of CO 2 streams for the purposes of geological storage pursuant to Directive 2009/31/EC from installations not covered by Annex I to this Directive.]

4. Production and processing of metals U.K.

(a)

Installations for the production of pig iron or steel (primary or secondary fusion) including continuous casting;

(b)

Installations for the processing of ferrous metals:

(i)

hot-rolling mills;

(ii)

smitheries with hammers;

(iii)

application of protective fused metal coats;

(c)

Ferrous metal foundries;

(d)

Installations for the smelting, including the alloyage, of non-ferrous metals, excluding precious metals, including recovered products (refining, foundry casting, etc.);

(e)

Installations for surface treatment of metals and plastic materials using an electrolytic or chemical process;

(f)

Manufacture and assembly of motor vehicles and manufacture of motor-vehicle engines;

(g)

Shipyards;

(h)

Installations for the construction and repair of aircraft;

(i)

Manufacture of railway equipment;

(j)

Swaging by explosives;

(k)

Installations for the roasting and sintering of metallic ores.

5. Mineral industry U.K.

(a)

Coke ovens (dry coal distillation);

(b)

Installations for the manufacture of cement;

(c)

Installations for the production of asbestos and the manufacture of asbestos-products (projects not included in Annex I);

(d)

Installations for the manufacture of glass including glass fibre;

(e)

Installations for smelting mineral substances including the production of mineral fibres;

(f)

Manufacture of ceramic products by burning, in particular roofing tiles, bricks, refractory bricks, tiles, stoneware or porcelain.

6. Chemical industry (Projects not included in Annex I) U.K.

(a)

Treatment of intermediate products and production of chemicals;

(b)

Production of pesticides and pharmaceutical products, paint and varnishes, elastomers and peroxides;

(c)

Storage facilities for petroleum, petrochemical and chemical products.

7. Food industry U.K.

(a)

Manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats;

(b)

Packing and canning of animal and vegetable products;

(c)

Manufacture of dairy products;

(d)

Brewing and malting;

(e)

Confectionery and syrup manufacture;

(f)

Installations for the slaughter of animals;

(g)

Industrial starch manufacturing installations;

(h)

Fish-meal and fish-oil factories;

(i)

Sugar factories.

8. Textile, leather, wood and paper industries U.K.

(a)

Industrial plants for the production of paper and board (projects not included in Annex I);

(b)

Plants for the pretreatment (operations such as washing, bleaching, mercerization) or dyeing of fibres or textiles;

(c)

Plants for the tanning of hides and skins;

(d)

Cellulose-processing and production installations.

9. Rubber industry U.K.

Manufacture and treatment of elastomer-based products.

10. Infrastructure projects U.K.

(a)

Industrial estate development projects;

(b)

Urban development projects, including the construction of shopping centres and car parks;

(c)

Construction of railways and intermodal transshipment facilities, and of intermodal terminals (projects not included in Annex I);

(d)

Construction of airfields (projects not included in Annex I);

(e)

Construction of roads, harbours and port installations, including fishing harbours (projects not included in Annex I);

(f)

Inland-waterway construction not included in Annex I, canalization and flood-relief works;

(g)

Dams and other installations designed to hold water or store it on a long-term basis (projects not included in Annex I);

(h)

Tramways, elevated and underground railways, suspended lines or similar lines of a particular type, used exclusively or mainly for passenger transport;

(i)

[F2Oil and gas pipeline installations and pipelines for the transport of CO 2 streams for the purposes of geological storage (projects not included in Annex I);]

(j)

Installations of long-distance aqueducts;

(k)

Coastal work to combat erosion and maritime works capable of altering the coast through the construction, for example, of dykes, moles, jetties and other sea defence works, excluding the maintenance and reconstruction of such works;

(l)

Groundwater abstraction and artificial groundwater recharge schemes not included in Annex I;

(m)

Works for the transfer of water resources between river basins not included in Annex I.

11. Other projects U.K.

(a)

Permanent racing and test tracks for motorized vehicles;

(b)

Installations for the disposal of waste (projects not included in Annex I);

(c)

Waste-water treatment plants (projects not included in Annex I);

(d)

Sludge-deposition sites;

(e)

Storage of scrap iron, including scrap vehicles;

(f)

Test benches for engines, turbines or reactors;

(g)

Installations for the manufacture of artificial mineral fibres;

(h)

Installations for the recovery or destruction of explosive substances;

(i)

Knackers' yards.

12. Tourism and leisure U.K.

(a)

Ski-runs, ski-lifts and cable-cars and associated developments;

(b)

Marinas;

(c)

Holiday villages and hotel complexes outside urban areas and associated developments;

(d)

Permanent camp sites and caravan sites;

(e)

Theme parks.

13.

  • Any change or extension of projects listed in Annex I or Annex II, already authorized, executed or in the process of being executed, which may have significant adverse effects on the environment [F3(change or extension not included in Annex I)] ;

  • Projects in Annex I, undertaken exclusively or mainly for the development and testing of new methods or products and not used for more than two years.

ANNEX III U.K. SELECTION CRITERIA REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4 (3)

1. Characteristics of projects U.K.

The characteristics of projects must be considered having regard, in particular, to:

  • the size of the project,

  • the cumulation with other projects,

  • the use of natural resources,

  • the production of waste,

  • pollution and nuisances,

  • the risk of accidents, having regard in particular to substances or technologies used.

2. Location of projects U.K.

The environmental sensitivity of geographical areas likely to be affected by projects must be considered, having regard, in particular, to:

  • the existing land use,

  • the relative abundance, quality and regenerative capacity of natural resources in the area,

  • the absorption capacity of the natural environment, paying particular attention to the following areas:

    (a)

    wetlands;

    (b)

    coastal zones;

    (c)

    mountain and forest areas;

    (d)

    nature reserves and parks;

    (e)

    areas classified or protected under Member States' legislation; special protection areas designated by Member States pursuant to Directive 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC;

    (f)

    areas in which the environmental quality standards laid down in Community legislation have already been exceeded;

    (g)

    densely populated areas;

    (h)

    landscapes of historical, cultural or archaeological significance.

3. Characteristics of the potential impact U.K.

The potential significant effects of projects must be considered in relation to criteria set out under 1 and 2 above, and having regard in particular to:

  • the extent of the impact (geographical area and size of the affected population),

  • the transfrontier nature of the impact,

  • the magnitude and complexity of the impact,

  • the probability of the impact,

  • the duration, frequency and reversibility of the impact.

ANNEX IV U.K. INFORMATION REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 5 (1)

1. Description of the project, including in particular: U.K.

  • a description of the physical characteristics of the whole project and the land-use requirements during the construction and operational phases,

  • a description of the main characteristics of the production processes, for instance, nature and quantity of the materials used,

  • an estimate, by type and quantity, of expected residues and emissions (water, air and soil pollution, noise, vibration, light, heat, radiation, etc.) resulting from the operation of the proposed project.

2. An outline of the main alternatives studied by the developer and an indication of the main reasons for this choice, taking into account the environmental effects. U.K.

3. A description of the aspects of the environment likely to be significantly affected by the proposed project, including, in particular, population, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, including the architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the inter-relationship between the above factors. U.K.

4. A description (8) of the likely significant effects of the proposed project on the environment resulting from: U.K.

  • the existence of the project,

  • the use of natural resources,

  • the emission of pollutants, the creation of nuisances and the elimination of waste,

and the description by the developer of the forecasting methods used to assess the effects on the environment.

5. A description of the measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and where possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment. U.K.

6. A non-technical summary of the information provided under the above headings. U.K.

7. An indication of any difficulties (technical deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered by the developer in compiling the required information.] U.K.

(1)

[F1Nuclear power stations and other nuclear reactors cease to be such an installation when all nuclear fuel and other radioactively contaminated elements have been removed permanently from the installation site.

(2)

For the purposes of this Directive, ‘ airport ’ means airports which comply with the definition in the 1944 Chicago Convention setting up the International Civil Aviation Organization (Annex 14).

(3)

For the purposes of the Directive, ‘ express road ’ means a road which complies with the definition in the European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries of 15 November 1975.

(4)

OJNo L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39. Directive as last amended by Commission Decision 94/3/EC ( OJ No L 5, 7.1.1994, p. 15 ).

(5)

OJ No L 377, 31.12.1991, p. 20 . Directive as last amended by Directive 94/31/EC ( OJ No L 168, 2.7.1994, p. 28 ).

(6)

OJ No L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40 . Directive as last amended by the 1994 Act of Accession.

(8)

This description should cover the direct effects and any indirect, secondary, cumulative, short, medium and long-term, permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects of the project.]

Textual Amendments