On June 25, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union
("ECJ") delivered a judgment (C24/19) clarifying that
orders and circulars of EU Member States that regulate the
installation and operation of wind turbines constitute "plans
and programs" subject to environmental assessment under Directive
2001/42.
In this matter, neighbours of a site intended for wind turbines
in Belgium challenged the development consent granted to the
project by the authorities on the grounds that such consent had
been based on conditions provided in an order and circular by the
regional government, neither of which had been subject to an
environmental assessment.
The ECJ stated that "plans and programs" are subject
to environmental assessment under Directive 2001/42 when: (i) their
adoption is regulated by national legislative or regulatory
provisions; and (ii) they are likely to have significant
environmental effects. The ECJ indicated that it could not narrowly
interpret this