These Regulations amend the Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 to effect to Article 3 of Directive 2003/35/EC of the European Parliament of the Council of 26 May in so far as it affects public participation in the decision-making process for applications and appeals relating to development for which environmental impact assessment is required. They, among other things: (a) set out the circumstances in which the Department of the Environment may direct that a particular proposed development is exempted from the application of these Regulations and must notify persons and environmental organizations likely to be affected by, or having an interest in, the applications; (b) extend the requirements in relation to any other information provided by the applicant relating to the environmental statement; extend the public information requirements in respect of projects located within Northern Ireland that are likely to have significant effects on the environment of another EEA state, and for projects in another EEA state that are likely to have significant effects on the environment in Northern Ireland.