This
thesis is an empirical research on Environmental Impact Assessment - EIA, one
of the main tools existing for management and control of resources and for
protection of the quality of the environment.
The
research's purpose is to make an empirical evaluation of the level of EIA
policy’s implementation and of the present EIA system’s effectiveness as a tool
for environmental protection in the context of Planning and Building Law of 1965.
The
research includes findings from a sample of 16 different projects for which
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) were submitted between the years
1987-1991 and it is also based, as well, on the guidelines prepared by the
Ministry of Environment for each project and on documents from the files of the
projects in the district planning and building committees.
The findings of the
research indicate a lack of uniformity in the level of implementation of the
directives, as determined in the guidelines, as well as a gap between
requirements in the guidelines and their actual implementation in the EIS.
Relating to the performance of the EIA system, the findings show a need to fix
clear criteria for the decision taking of planning agencies when requiring an
EIS and a low level of public participation in the EIA process. Finally, it was
found that the EIA process was a long one and was often the cause for delay in
the plan approval process.
