Abstract Foreword Acknowledgements List of Illustrations Acronyms Table of Cases Table of Treaties and Other International Instruments 1 Introduction1 Environmental Degradation and eia Rationale2 Definition of eia3 Origins and History of eia3.1 National Environmental Policy Act (nepa)3.2 On the International Plane4 eia Reception and Appraisal4.1 Assessment of eia Efficiency4.2 eias are Procedural in Nature, with Public Participation at Their Core 5 Overview of the Book 2 Sources and Structure of International Environmental ImpactAssessment Prescriptions1 Sources of International eia Prescriptions1.1 Domestic Origins of eia Prescriptions1.2 Soft Law Instruments1.3 Treaties and Other Binding Instruments1.3.1 General eia Prescriptions1.3.2 Regional Instruments1.3.3 The Espoo Convention and the AntarcticEnvironmental Protocol 1.4 eia Prescriptions in Developing Countries 1.5 International Organizations 2 Generalized Structure Common to Domestic eia Systems, Adoptedby International eia Prescriptions 2.1 Screening 2.1.1 Initial Range of Activities Captured by eiaPrescriptions 2.1.2 Projects That May Potentially Cause a SignificantEnvironmental Effect 2.2 Scoping – Impact Analysis – Report Preparation 2.2.1 Scoping 2.2.2 Impact Analysis 2.2.3 Report Preparation 2.3 Notification – Consultations 2.3.1 Notification 2.3.2 Consultations 2.4 Public Participation 2.5 Final Decision 2.6 Follow-up Programs 3 Conclusion 3 The Role of eias in Public International Law 1 eia and the Dynamics of International Law 2 The Procedural Nature of eia, in View of a Rational and PoliticalDecision, Not Only a Scientific Report 2.1 eia or the Reintroduction of Dialectics and Discourse 2.1.1 Reasons and Incentives to Act 2.1.2 Conceptual Tools for Mapping the Relevant Processes 2.1.3 The Legal Process 2.2 nepa as Process-monger 2.2.1 Origins of eis 2.2.2 How to Enforce a Procedural Rule Such as eis? 3 Public Participation is at the Heart of eia’s Efficiency and ofLaw-making 1203.1 Civil Society is the Repository of Exceptional Knowledge 1213.2 The eia Process Must be Salient, Legitimate and Credible 1233.3 The Circulation and Influence of Information 1263.3.1 How to Ensure Information is Provided? 1263.3.2 The Circulation and Influence of Information 1334 Conclusion 1354 The Vuotos CaseFinland – Sweden (1960’s – 2019)1 General Presentation and Historical Context of the Vuotos Case2 The Vuotos Dam/Reservoir Project2.1 Ecological and Economic Aspects of the Vuotos Project2.2 Development of the Opposition Movement to the Vuotos Project 2.3 The Legal Proceedings 2.3.1 Proceedings before the Water Court and the Decisionfor an Early Application of the Espoo Convention 2.3.2 The Appeal to the Administrative Court of Vasaa 2.3.3 The Supreme Court Decision 3 Final Developments of the Vuotos Project and Conclusion 5 France – Spain Interconnection1982 – 2015 1 General Presentation and Historical Context of the Interconnection Case 1.1 History of the Electrical Infrastructure in the Pyrenees 1.2 Emergence of the Opposition to Interconnection Power Lines 2 The Fifth Interconnection between France and Spain 2.1 Cazaril-Aragón – The Louron Valley Project – 1984–1996 2.1.1 The Louron Valley Project and Its Opponents 2.1.2 The Legal Proceedings 2.1.3 The Cancellation of the Louron Valley Project 2.2 The Baixas-Bescanó Project – 2001–2003 2.2.1 The Public Debate 2.2.2 The Stalemate 2.3 The Final Route (Baixas – Santa Llogaia) – 2007–2015 2.3.1 The Mediation of the European Union 2.3.2 The New Interconnection Line (Baixas – SantaLlogaia) 3 Conclusion 6 The Upper Mekong Navigation Improvement Project (umnip)China – Myanmar – Thailand – Laos (1989 – 2020) 1 General Presentation and Historical Context of the umnip Case 2 The umnip 2.1 The First Phase – 2000–2003 2.1.1 The Preparatory Stage 2.1.2 The Mekong River Commission (mrc) 2.1.3 The Joint eia 2.1.4 Final Project Approval and Construction Stage 2.2 Cancellation and Outcome of the umnip 2.2.1 Cancellation 2.2.2 Outcome and Appraisal of the umnip 2.3 Last Attempt 3 Taming and Exploiting the Mekong River – from a Free-flowingWatercourse to a Series of Stagnant Reservoirs 3.1 China’s Dam Policy 3.2 Laos’ Dam Policy 3.3 Thailand’s Dam Policy 4 Conclusion and Recommendations 4.1 Financial Institutions 4.1.1 Lender Environmental Liability (lel) 4.1.1.1 Domestic Financial Institutions 4.1.1.2 Multilateral Development Banks (mdbs) 4.1.2 Accountability of the mdbs 4.1.3 The Essential Role of Banks’ Sustainability/Environment Departments 4.2 Recommendations with Respect to Financial Institutions and eias 4.3 Expectations Regarding the Role of Civil Society: Supportingthe Increase of ngo Activity Where it Thrives, and AdvancingInternational ngo Agitation 7 Conclusion 1 Procedural Requirements, Such as eia, Lead to Substantive Law inInternational Environmental Law 2 Recommendations 2.1 Preventing Ex-post Rationalization 2.2 Developing Public Participation 2.3 Improving Post-monitoring Programs AppendicesAppendix 1 Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in aTransboundary Context (Espoo Convention) Appendix 2 Annex i to the Protocol on Environmental Protectionto the Antarctic Treaty Environmental ImpactAssessment Appendix 3 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and ofthe Council of 13 December 2011 on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on theEnvironment (Codification of the 1985 eia Directive) Appendix 4 Convention on Access to Information, PublicParticipation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice inEnvironmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) Selective Bibliography Index