Strategic environmental assessment
Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a systematic process
for identifying, reporting, mitigating and monitoring environmental
effects of plans, programmes and strategies. It aims to ensure that
environmental issues are taken into account at every stage in
their preparation, implementation, monitoring and review.
EU legislation requiring the environmental assessment of plans
and programmes came into force in 2001 through
Directive 2001/42/EC.
In Scotland, the requirements of the Directive are taken forward by
the
Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. The Act requires
that environmental assessment is undertaken on all public sector
plans, programmes and strategies which are likely to have
significant environmental effects.
Under the Act SEPA has statutory duties,
both as a Consultation Authority (where SEPA must, at key
stages, provide advice to those undertaking SEA) and as
a Responsible Authority (where SEPA must undertake SEA
for its own plans, programmes and strategies). SEPA also fulfils
non-statutory roles.
In Scotland all SEA consultations are managed
by the Scottish Government through the SEA Gateway. If you
are submitting an SEA consultation to us, then please do so via the
SEA
Gateway.
In 2011 SEPA launched the Scottish SEA Review, the first comprehensive
review of SEA since its introduction.
Further details on SEA can be found on the
Scottish Government website.