Law No. XIII-529 On environmental impact assessment .

This Law regulates the processes of the environmental impact assessment of the planned economic activity and the environmental impact assessment of the proposed economic activity and the relations between the participants in these processes. The purpose of this Law is to harmonize the regulation of the environmental impact assessment process of planned economic activities with the legal acts of the European Union specified in Annex 3 to this Law. Environmental impact assessment proceedings shall be applicable to the economic activities listed in the Annex 1. The selection of the environmental impact assessment of the proposed economic activity must be carried out prior to the statutory permission (construction permit, permit for use of land resources or caverns, permit for integrated pollution prevention and control, pollution permit and other permits specified in acting legislation). If the activity is not inserted in the list of activities subject to mandatory environmental impact assessment and/or environmental impact assessment is not performed, then the permit shall not be issued. EIA shall not be applicable to explicitly prohibited by law economic activities. EIA objectives shall be as follows: (a) to identify, characterize and evaluate the potential direct and indirect effects of the proposed economic activity on the following environmental elements: land, soil and subsoil, air, water, climate, landscape and biodiversity, with particular attention to the species and habitats of European Union importance, as well other species protected by the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Protected Animals, Plants and Mushrooms, material values, immovable cultural values and interactions between these elements; (b) to identify, characterize and evaluate the possible direct and indirect effects of biological, chemical and physical factors caused by the proposed economic activity on public health as well as interactions between environmental elements and public health; (c) to determine the potential impact of the proposed economic activity on the elements of the environment referred to in Paragraph 1 of this article and on public health due to the risk of vulnerability of the planned economic activity due to extreme events and/or possible emergencies; (d) to determine the measures to be taken in order to prevent, reduce or, if possible, compensate for the significant negative environmental and public health impacts; (e) determine whether the proposed economic activity, having assessed its nature, location and/or environmental impact, meets the requirements of environmental protection, public health, real cultural heritage protection, fire and civil protection legislation. In case of a possible significant impact of intended economic activity performed in the Republic of Lithuania on the territory of a Member State of the European Union or on the territory of a foreign state then shall be applicable cross-border environmental assessment for evaluation of transboundary effects. The developer of EIA documentation shall prepare a report subject to approval by the Minister of Environment. This Law consists of V Chapters divided into 15 Articles. Chapter I lays down general provisions. Chapter II lists activities subject to mandatory environmental impact assessment. Chapter III regards evaluation of environmental impact assessment. Chapter IV regards selection of environmental selection body and access to information related thereto. Chapter V lays down final provisions.