Application of REEIO to SEA
Application of the REEIO to SEA / SA stages
Article 5 of the SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and Council) requires that, for plans and programmes for which an SEA is required,
'an environmental report shall be prepared in which the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and the geographical scope of the plan or programme, are identified, described and evaluated.'
SEA involves three main activities:
- Collecting and presenting baseline information about aspects of the environment which could be affected by the strategy;
- Predicting how the strategy could affect the environment (both positively and negatively);
- Considering how negative environmental impacts could be reduced or avoided, and positive benefits increased, by adopting alternative options.
Annex I of the SEA Directive specifies what the content of the assessment should include. The REEIO model can make a direct contribution to the following stages as specified in Annex I:
Stage 1. Screening
Stage 2. Scoping
Stage 3. Developing options
Stage 4. Assessment
Stage 5. Consultation
Stage 6. Monitoring
Note that we have inserted an extra stage 3 - "developing options" - which would otherwise be the responsibility of policy-makers rather than SEA consultants. This is particularly important for sustainability objectives, as the assessment is only significant when comparing alternative courses of action, and meeting sustainability targets often needs more than conventional thinking. Therefore 'developing options' is recommended as an essential part of the REEIO process.
SEA and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) are different in legal mandate, but increasingly overlapping in practice. It is therefore preferable to satisfy both through a single appraisal process. The current ODPM guidance on SA is intended to ensure that they meet the requirements and are in compliance with the SEA Directive. It also widens the SEA Directive's approach to include social and economic as well as environmental issues. The general structure and process of SEA and SA is very similar, with key activities including:
- collecting and presenting baseline information
- predicting the significant effects of the plan and addressing them during its preparation
- identifying reasonable plan options and their effects
- involving the public and authorities with social, environmental and economic responsibilities as part of the assessment process
- monitoring the actual effects of the plan during its implementation
The process guidance to REEIO in Section 4 of this paper is based on the SA process structure, as in the most recent guidance from ODPM (2004).