Special issue on 25 years of EIA in the EU (editorial)

Abstract

This special issue of JEAPM is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the implementation of the EIA Directive (85/337/EEC) in the EU. The Directive on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on the Environment was published by the Council of the European Communities in 1985 and by July 1988 at the latest, all EU Member States were required to have implemented it. A quarter century of EIA in the EU is a fitting moment to reflect on what EIA has achieved. This is why in this issue various authors look at how EIA legislation and practice have contributed to the original objective of the Directive, namely; to contribute by means of a better environment to the quality of life, to ensure maintenance of the diversity of species and to maintain the reproductive capacity of the ecosystem as a basic resource for life.