Definition – Strategic Environmental Assessment
(SEA) is a mandatory appraisal process that should be applied for transport plans/programmes that set the framework for the future development of projects listed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (1985, as amended in 1997, 2003 and 2009). SEA was made mandatory under the EC SEA Directive 2001/42/EC, which has been in force since 2001 and should have been transposed into national legislation by 2004. The SEA procedure can be summarised as follows: an environmental report is prepared in which the likely significant effects on the environment and the reasonable alternatives of the proposed plan or programme are identified. The public and the environmental authorities are informed and consulted on the draft plan or programme and the related environmental report. The environmental report and the results of the consultations are taken into account before the adoption of the plan or programme.
Relevance to SUMP – The environmental report of the SEA and the results of the consultations should be taken into account before adoption of the SUMP. As the SEA involves the consideration of reasonable alternatives (e.g. alternative modes of transport) and their likely significant effects on the environment, this can inform the appraisal of different mobility scenarios and measure selection.
Source: EC SEA 2014