Towards an Analytical Strategic Environmental Assessment methodology – ANSEA
ANSEA intends to enhance theoretical and methodological background to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assist the implementation of the future EU Directive and the EU activities on Assessment of Policies. The objective is to identify ways to deal with the uncertainties, which might have significant environmental implications, embedded in these processes.
ANSEA intends to enhance theoretical and methodological background to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assist the implementation of the future EU Directive and the EU activities on Assessment of Policies.
The SEA of policies, plans and programmes can be grouped in three methodological approaches: environmental impact assessment, incorporation of sustainability goals, process efficiency assessment. ANSEA will mainly address the analysis and evaluation of decision and policy making processes. The objective is to identify ways to deal with the uncertainties, which might have significant environmental implications, embedded in these processes.
FEEM is responsible for the definition of the evaluation techniques used in selecting alternatives and it is involved in the elaboration of the practical guidelines, particularly in gathering information on one or two SEA applications to be critically assessed. FEEM is also responsible for the organisation of the final Symposium.
The project is co-ordinated by TAU Consultora Ambiental, Madrid (Spain).
The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of policies, plans and programmes (PPP) presents a significant number of applications. The most important institutional initiative at EU level nowadays is the proposed Directive on SEA for plans and programmes (COM(96) 511 final – 96/0304(SYN).
There are at least three main methodological approaches to SEA, which either focus on environmental impact assessment of PPP, on the incorporation of sustainability goals into the PPP, or on a process efficiency assessment of the PPP.
ANSEA constitutes a theoretical effort, which tries to enhance the theoretical and methodological background of the SEA to contribute to the implementation of the future EU Directive. Within the process approach ANSEA also attempts to develop a theoretical and methodological approach to SEA centered on the analysis of a new concept called ‘environmental bias’ of the policy formulation process. This concept should be understood as an ‘environmental deviation’ from a previous defined rational decision making setting.
Methodology
The study is based on a literature review and case studies testing with comparison across eight EU Member States. Practical guidelines for implementing the SEA have been elaborated, based on the theoretical and empirical analysis.
The role of FEEM
In the theoretical review FEEM is responsible for the definition of the evaluation techniques to be used in selecting alternatives. FEEM is also involved in the elaboration of the practical guidelines and particularly in gathering information on one or two SEA applications to be critically assessed. In the dissemination phase FEEM is responsible for the organisation of the final Symposium.