57Article 6(4) is applicable only after the implications of a plan or project have been studied in accordance with Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive. Thus, knowledge of those implications in the light of the conservation objectives relating to the site in question is a necessary prerequisite for the application of Article 6(4), since, in the absence of those elements, no condition for the application of that derogating provision can be assessed. The assessment of any imperative reasons of overriding public interest and that of the existence of less harmful alternatives require a weighing up against the damage caused to the site by the plan or project under consideration. In addition, in order to determine the nature of any compensatory measures, the damage to the site must be precisely identified (judgment in Solvay and Others, C‑182/10, EU:C:2012:82, paragraph 74).
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