A viewpoint on the approval context of strategic environmental assessments

A reflection on the last report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the application and effectiveness of the Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is provided. It covers the inadequacies of the approval/permitting context of SEA, which appears to be increasingly applied by a significant number of Member States in recent years. A viewpoint is provided on the main deficiencies of such praxis. As a practical defence of the planning context of SEA, the authors propose that the EC should consider a clear recommendation to Member States to cease performing SEA in the approval/permitting context until proper amendments to the SEA Directive are made and implemented. ► Administrative and permitting context of SEA, has ousted the primary environmental impact assessment goal. ► The approval context moves from the environmental protection to the area of political power and economy. ► SEA and EIA are misused. ► Environmental evaluations should be used for improving the projects/plans/programmes and not for permitting them.