European Commission questioned over environmental impact assessment of Montijo Airport

Lisbon, 30 October 2020 – The Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) MEP questioned the European Commission if the environmental assessment of Montijo airport meets the provisions of national and EU laws. 

“The environmental impact assessment carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) is simplistic since it does not contain, for example, estimates of the new airport’s carbon footprint,” says Francisco Guerreiro. 

Given the absence of a strategic environmental assessment and the failure to address any climate and environmental impacts by merely favouring the alleged financial return, the MEP asked the EC if it considers that the project “meets the provisions under national and EU law”. 

“I can’t understand how the construction of this commercial airport is approved with such superficial assessments, especially when we’re discussing the European Green Deal and the reduction of at least 55% of greenhouse gases by 2030 in the European Union,” comments the MEP. 

See the full question below:

Montijo Airport and breaches of EU law 

Question: The Portuguese Government has signed an agreement with ANA, the country’s airport authority, for the construction of a new airport in Montijo and the significant expansion of Humberto Delgado Airport.

The “airport system”, as set out in a sectoral plan in accordance with Portuguese law, will be concentrated in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and its surroundings and have adverse effects on the environment and health. 

In such circumstances, national and EU law require that a strategic environmental assessment be carried out. 

However, the environmental impact assessment focused on financial aspects and failed to address the potential climate and environmental impacts. Thus, I ask the Commission: 

1. Does it consider that this project, for which no strategic environmental assessment has been carried out, meets the provisions under national and EU law? 

Given the fact that it contained no estimate of the new airport’s carbon footprint, and in view of the project’s proximity to the special protection and conservation areas in the Tagus Estuary, does the Commission believe that the environmental impact assessment was performed in accordance with EU law?

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