Podstawy prawne geoinformacyjnego wsparcia ocen oddziaływania na środowisko w Polsce

Abstract

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an instrument ensuring environmental protection at the stage of the decision-making process preceding investment implementation. It enables the preparation of an investment process in such a way that the implementation and functioning of the investment has the lowest negative impact on the geographical environment possible negative. After World War II, economic growth became very intensive. Only the technical and economic aspects of investment enterprises were analysed during the design of new investments. The impact of new, large-scale investments on the environment in various parts of the world was so significant, that it caused concern for the balance in the environment and its functioning, not only on a local, but also on a global scale (Synowic, Rzeszot 1995). This concern resulted in, among others, the development of legislation on environmental impact assessment. Impact assessments may refer to direct undertakings (which served as prototypes for international and European solutions), but also to programmes, plans, policies, and draft laws (as was provided for by the US legislation and the E uropean legislation since 2001). The article does not discuss the issue of strategic environmental impact assessment of draft documents (programmes, plans, and policies), only signalling their existence. The development of environmental impact assessment and legal basis for spatial information infrastructure presented in the article point to the need of permanently including geoinformation systems into administrative proceedings concerning assessments or decisions motivated by environmental factors. The geoinformational support functioning pursuant to the INSPIRE directive will enable administrative bodies to make decisions based on reliable spatial information with legal basis.