Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece Alexandros Koulidis
Environmental Licensing is EIA The term environmental licensing in Greek legislation is equivalent to the environmental impact assessment of EU law. Protection of the environment is one of the strongest commitments of Greek law, drawing its power from the Constitution (art. 24.1): The protection of the natural and cultural environment constitutes a duty of the State and a right of every person. The State is bound to adopt special preventive or repressive measures for the preservation of the environment in the context of the principle of sustainable development. Environmental Licensing is one of the numerous tools of Greek law for implementing the constitutional stipulation, along with the EU acquis. Other tools include the provisions for habitats and species protection in Natura 2000 sites, protection of forests and water streams, air pollution and noise emission and concentration limit values, waste management and sewage treatment requirements etc. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 2
EIA: A balancing procedure for sustainable decision making EIA is a balancing procedure, to include the environmental dimension in the development process. The right mix of environmental protection, social acceptance and economic growth is the core requirement to promote sustainable development. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 3
EIA: Main features EIA is a systematic process of identifying future consequences of a proposed project or activity. Incorporates environmental care right into development design. Coupling of technical and environmental solutions right from the start, often leading to smarter design. EIA is all about focused ad hoc application on each particular project. No prescribed recipes. The collective nature of environmental resources, the "co-ownership" of the environment, requires an open decision-making process, with public consultation at its center. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 4
EIA: Basic structure Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 5
EIA procedure: main players Project Developers State authorities Environmental Scientists Regional authorities and bodies The public: Individuals & NGOs Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 6
EIA procedure: Basic steps Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 7
Environmental licensing and democratic planning of development The public is officially informed of the intention to develop a project or activity for the first time during the environmental licensing phase. Environmental licensing is not only the first, but in most cases, the only officially available tool for consultation. The players involved in the environmental licensing process are numerous and quite independent of each other. They have the ability to inject" their ideas and aspirations into the end result. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 8
ΕΙΑ report: basic elements Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 9
ΕΙΑ report: Project Design Secondary or support installations Size (power, capacity, extend) Waste, nuisances Resources (raw materials, water, energy e.tc.) Construction and Operation Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 10
ΕΙΑ report: Status of Environment Soil Water Air Flora Fauna Ecosystems Protected Areas Cities, Towns, Villages, Settlements Land Use, Spatial Planning Rural, mountainous or coastal aspects Economy and production Pressures and Trends Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 11
ΕΙΑ report: Impact Assessment Underlying logic: Coupling of environmental components with the characteristics of the project. Identification and quantification of primary impact drivers (emissions, waste, occupation of natural soil, etc.) Impact assessment due to primary drivers (concentrations, noise levels, impacts on ecosystems, etc.) Selection of appropriate methodology: Dose-response for direct effects. DPSIR (drivers, pressures, state, impact, response) for impact on environmental sectors affected by many factors. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 12
ΕΙΑ report: Impact Assessment Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 13
ΕΙΑ report: Examples of Measures Bird monitoring and measures to minimize collisions Pause of construction works during breeding period Forest restoration Minimization of land occupation and disturbance Rational use of natural resources Waste management Water stream protection Construction noise mitigation Forest fire prevention Environmental accident preparedness and response Cultural heritage protection Disturbed ground restoration Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 14
EIA for RES in Greece: Basic legislation Law 4014/2011 (Environmental Licensing Process) Law 3937/2011 (Biodiversity conservation) JMD 49828/2008 (Spatial Planning for Sustainable Development of Renewable Energy Sources) MDs 167563/2013 & 1649/2014 (Procedural details) MDs 170225/2014 & 48963/2012 (Requirements for EIA reports and decision content) MD 21398/2012 (Publication of decisions on the Internet) Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 15
EIA for Wind Farms in Natura 2000 Sites Law 4014/2011 provides for a joint procedure of impact assessment under environmental and ecological requirements Same provision as in new EIA Directive (2014/52). Appropriate assessment (art. 6(3) of Habitats Directive) and ecological impact assessment are carried out at the same time, via the Special Ecological Assessment provided for in art. 10 of L.4014/2011, as an annex of EIA report. The Special Ecological Assessment report is prepared by competent scientists, to meet detailed requirements including a lot of fieldwork. The evaluation of this report is performed by the relevant Department of the Ministry or the Decentralized Administration, after the local Site Management Bodies have expressed their views. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 16
EIA for Wind Farms: Final Remarks Environmental Licensing for Wind Farms is a well established process in Greece, fully aligned with EU law. Wind farms already in place produce more than 2370 ΜW, covering more than 7,5% of annual electric energy, with daily peaks as high as 20%! This is hard evidence that EIA is not prohibiting the development of the wind energy sector, although particular (but only a few) projects had to be cancelled due to environmental reasons. Greece has streamlined the licensing process, combining environmental and ecological assessment, as well as forest permits into a single procedure. Lessons learned from wind farms into Natura 2000 sites are also fully aligned with the European experience: Protected habitats and species, including birds, can co-exist with wind farms in most cases, as long as all the necessary measures are taken in advance and during construction and operation of the project. Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 17
Thank you Nov-2017 Alexandros Koulidis Environmental Licensing of Wind Farms in Greece 18