HC Deb 21 May 1993 vol 225 cc354-5W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department gave the European Commission in its compilation on the annex on the United Kingdom to its report "Com. (93) 28 Final-Volume 12" on implementation of EC directive 85/337/EEC, published on 2 April.

Mr. Baldry

The Government were among those consulted.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what independent measures exist in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other member states of the European Community to review the adequacy and effectiveness of environmental impact statements prepared, pursuant to EC directive 85/337/EEC.

Mr. Baldry

The requirements of EC directive 85/337 have been introduced into member states' law in several different ways. In the United Kingdom, the local planning authority or other competent authority is required to take the environmental information, which includes the environmental statement, into consideration in deciding whether to grant development consent. Planning authorities have powers to require the applicant to provide further information concerning any of the matters set out in schedule 3 to the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 or to produce evidence to verify information in the environmental statement.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many British individuals or organisations have complained to the European Commission in regard to alleged breaches of EC directive 85/337/EEC on environmental impact assessments since it came into force; how many have been upheld; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the directive to date.

Mr. Baldry

The United Kingdom is not notified of all complaints to the EC by British individuals and organisations and current figures are not therefore available to the Government. However, I refer the hon. Member to the Commission's report dated 2 April 1993 on the implementation of directive 85/337—COM 93(28)—which has been deposited in the House and which gives numbers of complaints for the period 1988–90.It is not known how many were from British individuals or organisations. To date, no cases have been brought against the British Government in the European Court of Justice concerning the implementation or application of directive 85/337.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on European Commission proposals "COM (92)93 Final" and "COM (93)131 Final" for a convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context.

Mr. Baldry

EC proposals COM (92)93 and COM (93)131 concern a proposal to facilitate simultaneous ratification by the European Community and the individual member states of the convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context which was adopted at Espoo on 25 February 1991.Explanatory memoranda have been submitted to Parliament and have been placed in the Library of the House. The Government welcome the convention which the United Kingdom signed on 26 February 1991 and support the principle of simultaneous ratification.