The Department of the Environment (the ‘DOE’) has announced the publication of a consultation paper seeking views on proposals for consolidating and amending the "Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and 2008" as amended (the ‘EIA Regulations’), which apply "Directive 85/337/EEC" on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, to the planning process in Northern Ireland.