HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS LEUVEN

The project will complete a 10-year investment programme designed to create a first-class hospital, research and education facility on the Gasthuisberg campus over the period 2005-2015 serving the population of the Flemish Region (6 million people).

The programme will create a specialist hospital centre at Gasthuisberg to enable the transfer of acute hospital services from other campuses that are part of the university hospital, as well as develop approriate community based services on peripheral sites. The progressively developed infrastructure of the hospital will provide an appropriate environment for high-tech medicine that not only integrates all medical and paramedical disciplines but also creates a focus for the full integration of health, teaching and reseach activities.

Hospitals are not specifically mentioned in the EIA Directive on Environmental Impact Assesment, though the project may be covered by Annex II of the Directive in relation to urban development. The project represents the redevelopment of an existing hospital site and as such, is unlikely to require an EIA. The Bank’s services will verify during appraisal whether an EIA is required and further environmental effects of the project.

The Bank requires the promoter to ensure that all relevant contracts for the implementation of the project have been or shall be tendered in accordance with the relevant EU procurement legislation. The procurement issues will be examined during appraisal.