What is the main purpose of the Espoo Convention in the context of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

The main purpose of the Espoo Convention is to promote transboundary environmental impact assessment. It ensures that activities likely to cause significant adverse transboundary environmental impacts are assessed before a decision is made to authorize them. It obligates parties to notify and consult with affected parties (countries) regarding proposed activities that may have significant environmental impacts across national borders. This includes sharing information about the proposed activity, the EIA process, and potential impacts. The affected party has the opportunity to participate in the EIA process, providing comments and raising concerns. The party of origin (the country where the activity is planned) must take into account the comments received from the affected party in its decision-making. The Espoo Convention aims to foster international cooperation in environmental protection and to prevent environmental disputes between countries by ensuring that transboundary environmental impacts are adequately considered.