Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment
Encyclopedia
The Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment
supplements the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context
. It was adopted and signed in Kiev
in 2003 and entered into force on 11 July 2010. It requires its Parties to evaluate the environmental consequences of their official draft plans and programmes. The Protocol also addresses policies and legislation, though the application of SEA to these is not mandatory.
The Protocol provides for extensive public participation in government decision-making in numerous development sectors. The public not only has the right to know about plans and programmes, but also the right to comment, to have their comments taken into account, and to be told of the final decision and why it was taken. Besides considering the typical environmental effects of plans and programmes, the Protocol places a special emphasis on the consideration of human health.
Although negotiated under UNECE, the Protocol is open to all UN Member States.
Application of the Protocol is being supported by a number of measures including a Resource Manual and the Belgrade
Initiative on SEA (started under the UNECE "Environment for Europe" process).
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Strategic environmental assessment is a system of incorporating environmental considerations into policies, plans, and programmes. It is sometimes referred to as strategic environmental impact assessment. The specific term strategic environmental assessment relates to European Union policy...
supplements the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context
Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context
The Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context is a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe convention signed in Espoo, Finland, in 1991 that entered into force in 1997...
. It was adopted and signed in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 2003 and entered into force on 11 July 2010. It requires its Parties to evaluate the environmental consequences of their official draft plans and programmes. The Protocol also addresses policies and legislation, though the application of SEA to these is not mandatory.
The Protocol provides for extensive public participation in government decision-making in numerous development sectors. The public not only has the right to know about plans and programmes, but also the right to comment, to have their comments taken into account, and to be told of the final decision and why it was taken. Besides considering the typical environmental effects of plans and programmes, the Protocol places a special emphasis on the consideration of human health.
Although negotiated under UNECE, the Protocol is open to all UN Member States.
Application of the Protocol is being supported by a number of measures including a Resource Manual and the Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
Initiative on SEA (started under the UNECE "Environment for Europe" process).