Duration and implementation of the permit granting procedure 1. The permit granting procedure shall consist of the pre-application phase and the phase of the assessment of the application and the decision-making by the single competent authority. 2. The pre-application phase, covering the period from the start of the permit granting procedure to the submission of the complete application file to the single competent authority, shall in principle not exceed two years. 3. In order to launch the permit granting procedure, the project promoter shall notify the single competent authority of the Member States concerned about the project in writing, and shall include a detailed description of the project. No later than two months following the receipt of the above notification, the single competent authority shall either acknowledge it or, if it considers that the project is not mature enough to enter the permit granting procedure, reject the notification in writing. If the single competent authority decides to reject the notification, it shall justify its decision. The date of signature of the acknowledgement of the notification by the competent authority shall serve as the start of the permit granting procedure. If two or more Member States are concerned, the date of the acceptance of the last notification by the competent authority concerned shall serve as the date of the start of the permit granting procedure. 4. Within three months of the start of the permit granting procedure, the single competent authority, in close cooperation with the project promoter and other authorities concerned and taking into account the information submitted by the project promoter on the basis of the notification referred to in paragraph 3, shall establish and communicate to the project promoter a detailed application outline, containing: (a) the material scope and level of detail of information to be submitted by the project promoter, as part of the application file for the comprehensive decision (b) a schedule for the permit granting process, identifying at least the following: (i) the decisions and opinions to be obtained; (ii) the authorities, stakeholders, and the public likely to be concerned ; (iii) the individual stages of the procedure and their duration; (iv) major milestones to be accomplished and their deadlines in view of the comprehensive decision to be taken; (v) the resources planned by the authorities and possible additional resource needs.

Duration and implementation of the permit granting procedure 1. The permit granting procedure shall consist of the pre-application phase and the phase of the assessment of the application and the decision-making by the single competent authority. The single competent authority involves, in accordance with the respective Member State’s institutional and legal framework, local and regional authorities, whose territories are concerned by the projects, in a participatory procedure, aiming to the preliminary evaluation of the project and also before the final authorisation. 2. The pre-application phase, covering the period from the start of the permit granting procedure to the submission of the complete application file to the single competent authority, shall in principle not exceed two years. The single competent authority could give the project promoter more time in special circumstances, related to the size and the nature of the project, and/or to allow enough time to properly involve the public. Such public consultations and participation must have already been undertaken before the pre-application phase. The outcome of public participation, in the form of trade-offs that directly affect infrastructure implementation, and the planned further measures for consulting the public, shall determine the length of the pre-application phase. 3. In order to launch the permit granting procedure, the project promoter shall notify the single competent authority of the Member States concerned about the project in writing, and shall include a detailed description of the project. No later than two months following the receipt of the above notification, the single competent authority shall either acknowledge it or, if it considers that the project is not mature enough to enter the permit granting procedure, reject the notification in writing. If the single competent authority decides to reject the notification, it shall justify its decision. The date of signature of the acknowledgement of the notification by the competent authority shall serve as the start of the permit granting procedure. If two or more Member States are concerned, the date of the acceptance of the last notification by the competent authority concerned shall serve as the date of the start of the permit granting procedure. 4. Within three months of the start of the permit granting procedure, the single competent authority, in close cooperation with the project promoter and other authorities concerned and taking into account the information submitted by the project promoter on the basis of the notification referred to in paragraph 3, shall establish and communicate to the project promoter a detailed application outline, containing: