QUALITY CONTROL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPRAISAL

TOOLS

IA IA 15 SESSION:    BUT IS IT ANY GOOD? THE SEARCH FOR QUALITY IN IMPACT ASSESSMENT ( I I )

M AT T H E W C A S H M O R E I VA R LY H N E

  H E N S R U N H A A R F R A N K VA N L A E R H O V E N

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• Situated with in context of ‘better regulat ion’ and new theoret ical developments in EA: An opportuni ty for posi t ive reforms?

• Probe the nexus between qual i ty control , qual i ty and effect iveness (QC-Q-EF nexus).

• Qual i ty control serves as an example of taken for granted assumptions about procedures.

• Two contrast ing systems:• The ‘Rol ls Royce’ : the Nether lands.• The ‘VW Beet le ’ : Denmark.

Introduction

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• Q1: Are EA reports are more credible in the Nether lands than in Denmark?

• Q2: Do EA reports have a more appropr iate scope in the Nether lands than in Denmark?

• Q3: Does EA lead to greater environmental awareness amongst actors involved in EA in the Nether lands than in Denmark?

• Q4: Does EA lead to a greater integrat ion of environmental values into decis ion making in the Nether lands than in Denmark?

• Q5: Does EA have a greater inf luence on decis ion making in the Nether lands than Denmark?

Probing the nexus

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• Survey in NL and DK (and UK)

• 1/3 of “ fu l l t ime” pract i t ioners (NL 400, DK 100)

• Stat is t ical analysis

• Expert interv iews

Methodology

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Strong qual i ty control more qual i ty?

Results: Quality of reports

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NCEA bet ter scope?

DK: No off ic ia l EIA scoping

Results: Scope of reports

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Strong qual i ty control

More impact?

Results: Influence of EA on decision making

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The Nether lands• Rol ls Royce leads to better scoped reports (stat is t ical ly

s igni f icant) and s l ight ly h igher levels of credibi l i ty.• But not ‘bet ter ’ substant ive outcomes.• A ref lect ion of i ts success in achieving pol i t ical

consensus?

Denmark• VW Beet le leads to greater environmental awareness

(stat is t ical ly s igni f icant) and integrat ion of env. values.• A more emancipated pol i ty and value inc lusive

democracy?• Or a minimal is t ic approach to EU legis lat ion?

Comparing the two approaches

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• Plenty of research l imitat ions . . . but provides strong empir ical basis for reconceiv ing QC-Q-EF nexus.

• Regulatory reform (and even s impl i f icat ion) could provide an important opportuni ty for re- imagining EA, based on new theor ies, research, etc.

• Part icular ly s igni f icant as overal l effect iveness appears problematic .

Wider agendas

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