In May 2000, the Environmental Impact Assessment (AIA) became a public procedure and, since then, 55 projects to be implemented on five islands of the Azorean archipelago have already been conditionally approved. All projects were subject to changes as a result of the application of this scheme in order to reduce some of their impact on the Environment.

The extraction of inert materials is amongst the most commonly assessed undertakings. All of the aforementioned projects subject to Environmental Impact Assessment correspond to private initiatives.  The extraction of inert materials is followed by the construction of support infrastructures to transport which is the result of investments made by the regional and local administration. Moreover, the projects on alternative energies, proposed by companies with public and private capital, were the third most common assessed undertakings.

2006 was the year that registered the largest number of approvals. On the contrary, 2005 did not register the approval of any project under the Environmental Impact Assessment scheme. All projects subject to environmental assessment with the Environmental Impact Statement conditionally favourable as well as the measures to which they were subject are available on the webpage of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea at www.aia-azores.org.

Similarly, many of the assessed projects were subject to monitoring with regard to their impact with the drafting of reports that are regularly submitted and assessed by the Regional Directorate for the Environment, the competent authority in the Azores. This governmental department has permanently assigned technicians in charge of analysing the documents and further indication of possible changes in the operation of the undertakings under construction or already built.

“The procedure concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment is an opportunity to reflect on the entire project, including its actual need,” the Regional Director for the Environment, stated adding that “we may draw a lesson from the  public consultation, concerning the AIA procedures in which the Environmental Impact Study may be analysed by all interested parties. These lessons can only be understood by a broad and inclusive approach. On the other hand, this procedure is also an opportunity to explain the investment details, tackle some fears or even encourage investments.”