Member Article

The Environmental Procedure Committee has been instructed, by supplementary directive, to review the legal rules which apply to the expansion of wind power. The background is the demand for a quicker and simpler procedure from planning to erection of a wind power station in conjunction with the major expansion of wind power that is planned.

The proposal is deemed to entail simplification in the form of fewer proceedings, shorter administration time and reduced costs for companies and authorities. In practice, the control which municipalities exert over land use is not affected. In the judgement of the committee, the procedure will be simplified, foremost in the manner in which the establishment of wind power in areas which are of national interest for wind power will be tried only in accordance with the environmental code.

The Chamber of Commerce supports the committee’s proposal for a simplification of the procedure in trying applications for wind power permits and the removal of the current double assessment.

The Chamber of Commerce proposes that the following questions be followed up:

- abolition of the duty of notification in favour of merely a duty to obtain a building permit with the aim of fulfilling the directive to abolish double assessment for smaller wind power developments as well;

- more thorough investigation into abolition of the county of Bohus provisions on continuous coastline contained in chapter 4, section 3 of the environmental code.

The Chamber of Commerce proposes that the legislator clarifies that:

- the establishment of wind power is to be tried even if the establishment does not have express support in a general plan and the municipal guidelines for the establishment of wind power;

- the impact of the laying of cables need not, in assessment pursuant to the environmental code, be examined to a greater extent than that which follows from the fact that such laying of cables is an ancillary activity to the establishment of wind power;

- assessment pursuant to the Act concerning Ancient Monuments and Finds is not to be carried out when trying the matter under the environmental code.