Strategic Environmental Assessment

Legal context

The purpose of the SEA-Directive is to ensure that environmental consequences of certain plans and programmes are identified and assessed during their preparation and before their adoption. The public and environmental authorities can give their opinion and all results are integrated and taken into account in the course of the planning procedure. After the adoption of the plan or programme the public is informed about the decision and the way in which it was made. In the case of likely transboundary significant effects the affected Member State and its public are informed and have the possibility to make comments which are also integrated into the national decision making process.

SEA will contribute to more transparent planning by involving the public and by integrating environmental considerations. This will help to achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Legal Context

SEA Directive 2001/42/EC

SEA-Proposal (COM (96) 511 Final)

Amended SEA-Proposal (Consolidated English version in PDF format)

The Commission adopted in 1996 a Proposal for a Directive on Environmental Assessment of certain plans and programmes. This Proposal was amended by the Commission in 1999 after the European Parliament had its First Reading. This amended text formed the basis for negotiations at Council level with the 15 Member States in the course of 1999. In December 1999 the Environment Ministers reached a political agreement on a common text for the future Directive (the common position). The common position was formally adopted on 30/03/2000.

         
(pdf ~100K; except el ~690K)

Commission opinion, COM(2000)636

Links to related sites:

• The homepage of UN ECE Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (UN ECE Homepage Protocol on SEA)
• The homepage of UN ECE Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (UN ECE Homepage Aarhus Convention)
• EUR-LEX where you can find the provisions of the Amsterdam Treaty on integration of environmental concerns in Commissions' policy proposals (Article 6 of the EC Treaty and declaration 12)
• Convention on Biological Diversity - Guidelines on incorporating biodiversity in EIA and SEA.