The European EIA Directive is implemented in Northern Ireland law by the Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999. In the case of EIA development, an applicant is unable to appeal against non-determination for a period of 16 weeks from the date on which the application was validated by Planning Service or from the date of lodging the Environmental Statement (whichever is the later). The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has the same period in which to apply Article 31 to the application. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is also obliged to consider the environmental information submitted before reaching its decision on the application. If there is doubt as to the requirement of an Environmental Statement a developer can go through a statutory screening process set out in the 1999 Regulations. Where development is EIA development, the environmental assessment can take many months to prepare. Subject to the above, an application for EIA development is dealt with in the same way as any application for planning permission with the same rights of appeal for an applicant and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has the same powers in relation to Article 31.