Part IV : Worldwide Experience and World Trend

Under the EU SEA Directive, the United Kingdom, as one of the member states of EU, requires an environmental assessment to be carried out for some types of plans and programmes if they are likely to have significant effects on the environment. Sustainability appraisals have also to be carried out thereby combining SEAs and sustainability appraisals into a single process. The two assessments/ appraisals are subject to scrutiny by inspectors testing the “soundness” of the plan and in case the inspectors consider the assessments/ appraisals as inadequate, this could undermine the integrity of the whole plan and may prevent adoption.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has prepared a guidance on how to carry out SEAs in accordance with the EU SEA Directive.