Regulations on Environmental Impact Assessment (No. 1123/2005).

These Regulations provide generally for environmental impact assessment in Iceland. They require that, before consent is granted for a project which may, due to its location, its concomitant activities, its nature or extent, have significant effects on the environment, an assessment of the environmental impact of the relevant project has been carried out. The Regulations also provide for participation in the environmental impact assessment process by stakeholders and the general public and for transparency in the process. The Minister for the Environment shall be the principal authority for the purposes of these Regulations and shall receive advice from the National Planning Agency. The Agency shall also provide and issue guidelines on environmental impact assessment and determine whether a project is subject to assessment under Annex 2 of these Regulations. The developer is responsible for the environmental impact assessment of a proposed project. The developer must notify the National Planning Agency of projects specified in Annex 2. The process foresees a Scoping Document an Initial Environmental Impact Statement and a Final Environmental Impact Statement. Appeal against a decision of the Agency may be had with the Minister. Development consent may not be granted for projects under Annex 1 or 2 of these regulations until the National Planning Agency’s opinion on the environmental impact assessment has been given, or a determination has been made that a project is not subject to assessment. Local authority development permits for projects subject to environmental impact assessment are subject to the provisions of the Planning and Building Act. The Regulations also concern surveillance of projects that are subject to impact assessment.