ABSTRACT
The goal of this chapter is to see how the appropriate assessment, imposed by Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive for any plan, programme or project which is likely to have a significant impact on a Natura 2000 site or on endangered species, might guarantee the integration of nature conservation concerns into land-use planning. To this end we have to examine paragraph 3 itself, and its interpretation not only by the European Commission but also by the Court of Justice of the European Union. In fact, in contrast to the EIA Directive and SEA Directive, which are entirely dedicated to impact assessments of projects or plans, there are only two sentences in Article 6(3), which relate to the scope, the content, the procedure and the effect of the appropriate assessment. Hence, the appropriate assessment system must be built, often by analogy with EIA and SEA directives.
