Strategic Environmental Assessment

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a similar procedure to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) but applies to 'plans and programmes' rather than individual projects.

The European Directive on SEA came into force on 21 July 2004. It applies to a wide range of plans and programmes prepared by statutory agencies, regional planning bodies, local authorities and others.

The directive aims to ensure environmental protection and sustainable development. It requires an assessment of the environmental effects of plans and programmes to be carried out as they are being developed. Public participation is an integral part of the SEA process.

Together with the Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature and the Environment Agency, we have published guidance on Strategic Environmental Assessment and biodiversity.

This helps ensure that biodiversity considerations are appropriately addressed in Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA).

The guidance explains step-by-step how biodiversity implications can be considered at each stage in SEA.

It examines links between SEA and other procedures such as sustainability appraisal, and provides a ‘toolkit’ of more specific techniques for promoting biodiversity through SEA.

We have published a booklet of strategic environmental assessment case studies entitled Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – learning from practice.

It shows how UK practitioners are rising to the challenge of carrying out effective SEA for public plans and programmes.

Each case study demonstrates an aspect of SEA or Sustainability Appraisal which has been carried out to a high standard or in an innovative way.

In 2009, we commissioned a review of the application of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to major infrastructure plans in the UK.

The report found significant weaknesses in the way SEA has been used in assessing Scotland’s National Planning Framework (NPF2) and the UK’s National Policy Statements for ports and energy.

To find out more, download the interim and final reports and the report summary, visit our National Policy Statements page.

We have been directly involved in Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) for UK offshore energy plans for oil, gas, wind and tidal power through representation on steering groups.

We also respond to consultations on the scope of offshore energy SEAs and on SEA Environmental Reports. Read some of our recent responses from our downloads section.