Environmental integration through strategic environmental assessment: Prospects in Europe

✍ Scribed by Hamblin, Paul

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 232 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0961-0405
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0976(199901/02)9:1<1::aid-eet177>3.0.co;2-r

✦ Synopsis

Governments across Europe recognize that integrating environmental concerns into other areas of policy is a key to achieving sustainable development. The use of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) enables the consideration of the environmental impact of proposals to be an integral part of decision making. It is an essential tool in helping governments nationally, and locally, achieve greater environmental integration. This paper describes the benefits SEA can provide and outlines the context for the European Commission's involvement in this field. The requirements of a European draft Directive on SEA are summarized and an assessment made of its effectiveness. A number of shortcomings are highlighted, which should be remedied. Finally, the progress of the draft Directive through the European institutions is tracked and conclusions made on the potential contribution of SEA to future environmental policy.