How to be informed and take part?

How to be informed and take part in environmental assessments (SEA and EIA)?

The law provides that all stakeholders (identified with the term anyone) can participate in environmental assessment procedures by expressing their comments and requests, in the manner established by law. Information and participation are guaranteed by:

The notice in the national/regional newspapers (EIA) or in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic ((EIA and SEA Screening) ) of the starting procedure and of the locations where it is possible to view the administrative and technical documentation; in the notice it is possible to identify the main features of the plan/programme/project and the locations where refer to the documentation, the timing and the methodologies to submit any comments, contributions, opinions, memories, etc..
The publication on the website of the Ministry of the Environment dedicated to the Environmental Assessments of the starting procedure (in the State), the administrative and technical documentation (planning and environmental, in language appropriate to an audience not necessarily expert), the deadlines and the means by which send comments, contributions and opinions; through the website citizens can then continue to follow the progress of the on going procedure until the final outcome.
The submission of comments to the competent authority, also by providing new or additional relevant information and evaluation in writing (by mail addressed to: Ministry of the Environment - Directorate General for Environmental Assessment - Division II Environmental Assessment Systems, Via Cristoforo Colombo 44, 00187 Rome by Certified Mail addressed to DGSalvaguardia.Ambientale@PEC.minambiente.it by a certified e-mail address) within different deadlines depending on the procedure:
- EIA Screening: within 45 days from the date of the notice published the website of the competent authority
- SEA: within 60 days from the date of the notice published in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic
- EIA: within 60 days from the date of the notice published in the newspapers
- EIA Legge Obiettivo: within 30 days from the date of the notice published in the newspapers.

Any other forms of consultation (public inquiries or contradictory) can be activated during the procedure by the competent authority or by the developer in order to enable the different actors express themselves and to collect their contributions before the final decision.