The objective of the law of 13 February 2006 (.PDF) is to ensure a high level of environmental protection.
It does this by ensuring that environmental considerations are taken into account during the drawing up of plans and programmes covered by the law, where these are clearly likely ‘to have an impact on the environment’. This desire to take the environment into consideration at an early stage is an application of the precautionary principle.
What's the objective?
The law of 13 February 2006 (.PDF) relates to the assessment of the environmental impact of certain plans and programmes and public consultation in the development of environmental plans and programmes. In particular, it transposes Directive 2001-42-EC (.PDF) of the European Parliament into Belgian law. The objectives of the directive are ‘to provide for a high level of protection of the environment, and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development, by ensuring that, in accordance with this Directive, an environmental assessment is carried out of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment’.