| Term (alphabetical order) | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ascertainment | The determination of clues and evidence of environmental damage and imminent threat of damage through information and data collection, analysis and assessment of the event, the effects on natural resources, the environmental quality status ex-ante and ex-post. The ascertainment can be done also by other investigative methods, such as modelling, risk assessment, expert judgement, etc. |
| Biodiversity | The term “Biodiversity” is used in these Practical Guide and Tables with the meaning of “Protected species and natural habitats”. Moreover, it concerns both the species and natural habitats protected by the Habitat and Birds Directives and those, included in natural protected areas under national legislation. |
| Damage factors10 | Factors that cause adverse effects to the natural resource protected under ELD. They represent the source of the environmental damage. Note that according to EU COM Notice, until the damage factors have caused environmental damage, they shoud be called potential damage factors. In this Practical Guide, for simplicity, they will always be called damage factors. |
| Damaging occurrence11 | The range of possible occurrences which may cause environmental damage, whether it is an accident, on-going pollution, over abstraction, killing of animals, etc. Note that according to EU COM Notice, until the damaging occurrence has caused environmental damage, it shoud be called potential damaging occurrence. In this Practical Guide, for simplicity, it will always be called damaging occurrence. |
| Determination of clues of environmental damage |
The process of evaluation of cases of potential environmental damage that passed the screening phase. This process is preliminary to the determination of the evidence. The purpose of the determination of clues is to identify candidate cases of significant environmental damage and imminent threat of damage and to dismiss non-candidate ones. It involves the collection and evaluation of data, circumstances and other elements of fact or law indicating the possible existence of significant damage or imminent threat of damage in the light of the requirements of the ELD. It concerns evaluations on the characteristics of the source of the impact and on the effects on natural resources. For example, clues of environmental damage may concern the exceedance of the screening |