Article 16b 2.

Where an environmental assessment is required pursuant to Directive 2011/92/EU or 92/43/EEC, it shall be carried out in a single procedure that combines all relevant assessments for a given renewable energy project. When any such environmental impact assessment is required, the competent authority, taking into account the information provided by the project developer, shall issue an opinion on the scope and level of detail of the information to be included by the project developer in the environmental impact assessment report, of which the scope shall not be extended subsequently. Where a renewable energy project has adopted necessary mitigation measures, any killing or disturbance of the species protected under Article 12(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC and Article 5 of Directive 2009/147/EC shall not be considered to be deliberate. Where novel mitigation measures to prevent as much as possible the killing or disturbance of species protected under Directives 92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC, or any other environmental impact, have not been widely tested as regards their effectiveness, Member States may allow their use for one or several pilot projects for a limited time period, provided that the effectiveness of such mitigation measures is closely monitored and appropriate steps are taken immediately if they do not prove to be effective.