Still a challenge to provide sufficient information
The supply of sufficient information also proved to be a challenge in 2023. The figures are comparable with those of previous years. It is a trend that we would like to help address, as a good environmental assessment that contains the correct information helps ensure a smooth process, committed stakeholders, transparent decision-making and sustainable investment.
Recommendations on scoping
The NCEA issued 50 advisory reports about a Terms of Reference memorandum in 2023. The NCEA recommended in all cases that competent authorities investigate more information than is proposed in the draft NRD.
Reviewing
With respect to 6 advisory reviews, the NCEA came to the conclusion that all essential information was present. This means that 58 of the assessed environmental assessments lacked information that is essential in order to consider environmental interests in decision-making. In less than half of the cases (16 of the 64) the competent authority decided to supplement the environmental assessment.
Advisory review supplements
After including supplementary information, 6 of the 16 supplemented environmental assessments contained sufficient information. The number of reports that required supplementation has remained stable in recent years (16 in 2023, 17 in 2022 and 19 in 2021).
Other points
In 2023, the NCEA formulated 6 advisory reports for an interim review. This concerned environmental assessments that were presented in draft form (3) and notes that will form part of the environmental assessment (3). In the latter case, this concerns investigating alternatives and variants.
Two advisory reports were also issued on salt and natural gas extraction beneath the Wadden Sea. This concerns an assessment by the NCEA regarding the monitoring programme and the results for 2022.
Finally, the NCEA contributed to the second RES and EA pilot, and produced an English version of the Scoping Note for the life time extension of the Borssele nuclear power plant and guidelines for provincial Area programmes in the context of the NPLG.
In 2023 the NCEA did not issue any screening advisory reports.
Strategic Environmental Assessment for environmental strategies
In the run-up to the start of the Environment and Planning Act on 1 January 2024, the NCEA produced recommendations on environmental assessments for environmental planning strategies. As it is a relatively new task for provinces and municipalities to draw up environmental planning strategies, the NCEA considers it important that our recommendations also focus on knowledge transfer regarding what a good environmental assessment contains with respect to an environmental planning strategy.
In 2023, the NCEA assessed 9 environmental assessments for an Environmental planning strategy (vis-à-vis 9 in 2022 and 21 in 2021). Additional information was needed in all these cases.
Involve citizens and interested parties, give attention to viewpoints
Participation of citizens and stakeholders often proved crucial in producing a good environmental assessment. This does not only concern creating a support base but also including as yet unknown information that is relevant for the plan or project, which is why it is arranged in law that stakeholders can submit 'public submissions'. The competent authorities are responsible for providing the substantive and procedural response to this. The competent authorities also determine whether the public submission should be made available to the NCEA. The NCEA can then refer to the public submissions in its advisory report.
In almost 50% of advisory reports, the NCEA was also asked to include public submissions when drawing up the advisory report. National government makes these views available in over 80% of the advice procedures, vis-à-vis a little over 50% at provinces and less than 40% at municipalities.
Appropriate assessment
An environmental assessment determines whether a plan or project has significant consequences for Natura 2000 sites. If it cannot be ruled out that a plan or project will have significant impact, an Appropriate Assessment must be made, which examines the consequences for Natura 2000 sites in more detail. In 2023, an Appropriate Assessment was drawn up in 26 environmental assessments during the advisory review. Information about nature was still missing from 12 of these reports. An Appropriate Assessment formed part of the supplementary information to the environmental assessment in 2 supplements to the advisory review
