In this context, following Fischer (2007)[1] SEA may be seen as: Effective SEA works within a structured and tiered decision framework, aiming to support more effective and efficient decision-making for sustainable development and improved governance by providing for a substantive focus regarding questions, issues and alternatives to be considered in policy, plan and program (PPP) making.
SEA is an evidence-based instrument aiming to add scientific rigor to PPP making by using suitable assessment methods and techniques.
Ahmed and Ernesto, Sánchez-Triana (2008) developed an approach to the design and implementation of public policies that follows a continuous process rather than as a discrete intervention.
Many EU nations have a longer history of strong Environmental Appraisal including Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.
This means that information on the environmental impact of a plan can cascade down through the tiers of decision making and can be used in an EIA at a later stage.
[4] The SEA Directive aims at introducing systematic assessment of the environmental effects of strategic land use related plans and programs.
SEA within the UK is complicated by different Regulations, guidance and practice between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment was negotiated by the member States of the UNECE (in this instance Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia).
The document explains the benefits of using SEA in development co-operation and sets out key steps for its application, based on recent experiences.