EIA - environmental impact assessment

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is governed in Czechia by Act No. 100/2001 Coll. It applies to projects listed in Annex 1 of the Act, for example motorways, national railways, industrial plants, hazardous waste facilities or large livestock farms. Category I projects are always assessed; for category II projects the authority first decides in a screening procedure whether an assessment is needed.

How the assessment works

• The authority publishes the project notification. Within 30 days of publication anyone from the public, the authorities concerned and municipalities and regions can comment on it in writing.
• The assessment covers effects on residents and public health, soil, water, air, climate, landscape, nature and property; the documentation also describes noise and vibration.
• Based on the documentation, an expert review and a public hearing, the Ministry of the Environment or the regional authority issues a binding opinion.

The opinion and its validity

The opinion is a basis for follow-up procedures, typically the project permit under the Building Act, and must be valid when that decision is made. It is valid for 7 years from issue. At the developer's request the authority extends it once by 5 years if neither conditions in the area nor knowledge have changed; repeated extension is excluded by law.

What it means for a buyer

A favourable EIA opinion does not yet mean the project will be built. The developer still needs a permit and funding, so years often pass between the opinion and the start of works. The documentation and opinions are public in the EIA Information System run by the CENIA agency. For a buyer the most useful part is usually the chapter on noise; the strategic noise map and the statutory noise limits help to compare it with today. Where a large project is to run is also shown in the zoning plan as transport infrastructure zones and corridors.