The new Industrial Emissions Directive

During this stage, impact which requires monitoring or auditing is identified.

Environmental monitoring is an “an activity undertaken to provide specific information on the characteristics and functions of environmental and social variables in space and time."

Its aim is to provide all the relevant information to ensure that the project has the least possible negative environmental adverse effects on humans and the environment. Environmental monitoring ensures that impact does not exceed legal standards, checks the implementation of mitigation measures and provides early warning of potential environmental damage.

In order to guarantee that the monitoring measures generate meaningful information and improve implementation of mitigation measures, some principles have to be adhered to by:

• determining the indicators to be used in monitoring activities,
• collecting meaningful and relevant information,
• applying measurable criteria in relation to chosen indicators,
• reviewing objective judgments on the information collected,
• drawing tangible conclusions based on the processing of information,
• making rational decisions based on the conclusion drawn, and
• recommending improved mitigation measures to be undertaken.

Generally, monitoring should be regular and performed over a long period of time to guarantee the highest effectiveness possible.

An environmental audit within the EIA assessment procedure determines the actual environmental impact, the accuracy of prediction, the effectiveness of environmental impact mitigation and enhancement measures, and the functioning of monitoring mechanisms. The environmental audit should be undertaken during the course of the project and will usually be performed once or twice during the whole project process.