EU Environmental and Planning Law Aspects of Large-Scale Projects

Description

Governments, companies, environmental associations and citizens all over the European Union EU are struggling with large scale projects. On the one hand large scale projects can contribute to economic development, on the other hand they often also raise environmental concerns. Because of their size and potential impact, large scale projects usually lead to heavy debates and quickly become of great symbolic value. Consequently, large scale projects are excellent examples of the difficulty to balance economic development with environmental protection.brbrThe types of large scale projects, planned as well as under construction in the EU, are very diverse. One can think of all kinds of infrastructure projects motorways, railways, waterways, stations, ports, airports,..., building projects offices, housing projects, sports stadiums, redevelopment of brownfields,..., waste projects incineration, landfill,..., energy projects electricity and gas networks, wind farms, biogas installations, heat networks, extraction projects,..., climate projects CDM projects,..., water projects, etc.brbrIn order to promote the legal thinking about all kinds of environmental and planning law aspects of large scale projects, Hasselt University and KU Leuven, Campus Brussels jointly hosted from 10 to 12 September 2014 the second European Environmental Law Forum EELF Conference, with as central topic Environmental and Planning Law Aspects of Large Scale Projects. The conference focused more specifically on the following aspectsbrbr- The role of spatial and environmental planningbr- Permitting and review proceduresbr- Critical sectoral regimesbr- Horizontal measuresbrbrThis book offers a selection of the contributions presented at the EELF Conference. They have all been submitted to two double-blind peer reviews.brbrThe book is subdivided into six main themesbr1. Generalbr2. Public participationbr3. Environmental impact assessmentbr4. Waterbr5. Naturebr6. Land usebr