INFOOS: The Polish Environmental Information and Communication System — Technological and Organisational Aspect s of the Implementation of a System to Support Poland in the Environmental Impact Assessment Process

Abstract

The INFOOS system was developed in 2002/2003 as part of an EU PHARE Twinning project. The project was designed to assist Poland in meeting EU requirements for EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment), prior to Poland’s entry into the EU. The INFOOS system was designed to support EIA and SEA processes, using modern computer and communications technologies. The system’s primary functions are: • The centralised collection and management of the information required in the performance of an EU-compliant EIA/SEA, and • The facilitation of communication between all parties involved in an EIA/SEA (government officials, developers, the general public...) To meet these requirements, 4 system modules were developed: 1. a reporting module that helps to manage EIA/SEA data in a standardised way 2. an assistance module that guides officials in the decision-making process 3. an archive module that stores the various documents, laws, guidelines, etc. of relevance, and allows them to be searched 4. a communication module that includes a chat room, a newsletter, a discussion forum and a list of relevant e.mail addresses