This Decree, within the environmental impact assessment legislative framework in Greece, aims at implementing the provisions of article 4 of Law No. 1650/86 as amended by article 2 of Law No. 3010/2002. It also aims at complying the provisions of Council Directives 85/337/EEC, 97/11/EC and 96/61/EC so as to ensure that the assessment of environmental effects of certain public and private projects and works contributes to the prevention of environmental pollution (article 1). Article 2 establishes that the provisions of this Decree shall apply to the new public or private projects and works falling under sub-categories 1 and 2 of Category (A) and sub-categories 3 and 4 of Category (B) of Ministerial Decree No. 15393/2332/2002. Exempted from this rule are those projects which serve national security. The Decree lays down the procedures and content of the preliminary environmental impact assessment and approval of environmental terms for the afore-mentioned sub-categories.