D. Devuyst et al., ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN FLANDERS, BELGIUM - AN EVALUATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE-PROCEDURE, Environmental management, 17(3), 1993, pp. 395-408
Two years of experience with EIA in Flanders (northern Belgium) was ev
aluated in order to gain perspective on the effectiveness of the admin
istrative procedure. The four essential characteristics of the EIA pro
cedure that were evaluated are: completeness, open and public characte
r, objectivity, and verifiability. Representatives of all parties invo
lved in the EIA procedure were interviewed. The result of the evaluati
on is a list of major problems with EIA. Recommendations for a more ef
ficient procedure are suggested at a time when a proposal for a new, c
omprehensive, and permanent EIA decree is being discussed. The evaluat
ion of the administrative procedure for EIA in Flanders shows that sev
eral vital characteristics of the EIA procedure are lacking. This redu
ces the obligatory and open nature of the process, resulting in insuff
icient guarantees that the environment receives the attention it deser
ves during the decision-making process.