Handbook on SEA for Cohesion Policy 2007-2013

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive came into force in 21 July 2004. There was an exemption for the application of the SEA Directive forStructural Funds plans and programmes in the 2000-2006 programming period.Instead, these plans were subject to an ex-ante environmental evaluation.The new round of the Structural and Cohesion Fund Operational Programmes willrun from 2007-13. Many of these Operational Programmes may requireassessment under the SEA Directive, particularly if they include projects coveredby the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive. Moreover, MemberStates may find it useful to apply SEAs to the National Strategic ReferenceFrameworks.