EIA screening: protected-area, wetland and Natura 2000 criteria checked for every site
When a project listed in Annex II of the EIA Directive (2011/92/EU, as amended by 2014/52/EU) is screened to decide whether a full environmental impact assessment is needed, the authority applies the criteria in Annex III. Point 2 of that annex — the location of projects — asks about the environmental sensitivity of the area, with particular attention to wetlands, riparian areas and river mouths; coastal zones and the marine environment; mountain and forest areas; nature reserves and parks; areas classified or protected under national legislation; Natura 2000 areas; and landscapes of historical, cultural or archaeological significance. ERWAY Legality Assessment checks a project polygon against the protected-area, wetland and designation part of that list before the screening request is written.
The developer supplies the polygon; the product returns one outcome per site with the strictest tier and the source behind it: overlap with a protected area in hectares with its category and protection class; relation to a protected wetland by official boundary or disc; relation to a World Heritage site, Biosphere Reserve or Global Geopark with the footprint's confidence; tenure status where the site lies on Indigenous or community land. Natura 2000 sites appear where the international records carry them as an international designation, and the Natura 2000 pre-screening page says where the official register remains the authority. The wind and solar and factory site pages show the two most common project types.
What Annex III asks
Three groups of criteria: the characteristics of the project (size, cumulation, resource use, waste, pollution, accident risk, human health); the location of the project (existing and approved land use; the abundance and regenerative capacity of natural resources; the absorption capacity of the natural environment, with the list of sensitive areas above); and the type and characteristics of the potential impact. The screening decision is the authority's; the location facts are the developer's to establish.
What the screening establishes
Per polygon, from records: which designations the site overlaps or lies near, with the overlap in hectares and the relation in words — inside, core, buffer, near, vicinity — and with every approximate footprint labelled as such. The protected wetland check page details the wetland row; the protected-area screening page covers the overlap logic. Coastal zones, mountain areas and cultural landscapes as such are not layers in the product; this is stated clearly.
What remains the authority's
The screening decision, the scoping opinion, the environmental impact assessment report and the development consent. The product's output is the dated site record the request cites — not the request, and not the decision. Where a national register or a Natura 2000 standard data form is the authority, the page tells you to consult it.
Frequently asked questions
Keep reading
- Legality Assessment
- Where it fits
- Natura 2000 and protected-area pre-screening before the appropriate assessment
- Wetlands of international importance check: inside, near or far, based on the official boundary
- Wind and solar site screening: protected areas, Natura 2000 and wetlands for every candidate site