social considerations.’ SEA can be described as a family of approaches which use a
variety of tools, rather than a single, fixed and prescriptive approach. A good SEA
is adapted and tailor-made to the context in which it is applied. This can be thought
as a continuum of increasing integration: at one end of the continuum, the principle
aim is to integrate environment, alongside economic and social concerns, into
strategic decision-making; at the other end, the emphasis is on the full integration of
the environmental, social and economic factors into a holistic sustainability
assessment” (Strategic Environmental Assessment, 2006: 7).
Since July 2001, the Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and
programmes on the environment has been in force. The Member States had to
transpose the Directive into national law within three years, i.e. by 21 July 2004.
The SEA Directive does not contain the term “strategic environmental assessment”,
but deals with the “assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the
environment”. However, as this term has meanwhile become widely accepted, and
also for better readability, the present study will continue to use the term “strategic
environmental assessment” (SEA).
The SEA Directive comprises specifications both for the SEA procedure and for
the issues to be covered in an environmental assessment. The main matters of a
SEA are as follows:
– assessment of significant effects on the environment
– examination of alternatives
– documentation (in an environmental report)
– consultations (of so-called “environmental authorities” and the public), if
applicable, also across borders
– taking into account of results
– provision of information on the decision
– monitoring
The first provision in Turkish legislation on Strategic Environmental Assessment
was regulated in Article 10 of the Environmental Law No. 2872. According to this
provision, “the procedures and principles relating to the projects subject to
Environmental Impact Assessment and the Strategic Environmental Assessment, as
well as the relevant procedures and principles, shall be determined by the regulations to be issued by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.” In addition to
the above-mentioned provision, the definition of SEA is also set out in the
Environmental Law No. 2872:
Strategic environmental assessment: Before the approval of a plan or a programme that is
subject to an approval, from the commencement of the planning and programming process,
the environmental assessment studies, conducted with a participatory view that also
includes a written report to assist the decision-makers and performed to ensure that the
environmental values, are integrated into the plan and programme and the possible environmental effects of the subject matter plan or programme are minimized.
74
S. S. Gökalp Alıca
variety of tools, rather than a single, fixed and prescriptive approach. A good SEA
is adapted and tailor-made to the context in which it is applied. This can be thought
as a continuum of increasing integration: at one end of the continuum, the principle
aim is to integrate environment, alongside economic and social concerns, into
strategic decision-making; at the other end, the emphasis is on the full integration of
the environmental, social and economic factors into a holistic sustainability
assessment” (Strategic Environmental Assessment, 2006: 7).
Since July 2001, the Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and
programmes on the environment has been in force. The Member States had to
transpose the Directive into national law within three years, i.e. by 21 July 2004.
The SEA Directive does not contain the term “strategic environmental assessment”,
but deals with the “assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the
environment”. However, as this term has meanwhile become widely accepted, and
also for better readability, the present study will continue to use the term “strategic
environmental assessment” (SEA).
The SEA Directive comprises specifications both for the SEA procedure and for
the issues to be covered in an environmental assessment. The main matters of a
SEA are as follows:
– assessment of significant effects on the environment
– examination of alternatives
– documentation (in an environmental report)
– consultations (of so-called “environmental authorities” and the public), if
applicable, also across borders
– taking into account of results
– provision of information on the decision
– monitoring
The first provision in Turkish legislation on Strategic Environmental Assessment
was regulated in Article 10 of the Environmental Law No. 2872. According to this
provision, “the procedures and principles relating to the projects subject to
Environmental Impact Assessment and the Strategic Environmental Assessment, as
well as the relevant procedures and principles, shall be determined by the regulations to be issued by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.” In addition to
the above-mentioned provision, the definition of SEA is also set out in the
Environmental Law No. 2872:
Strategic environmental assessment: Before the approval of a plan or a programme that is
subject to an approval, from the commencement of the planning and programming process,
the environmental assessment studies, conducted with a participatory view that also
includes a written report to assist the decision-makers and performed to ensure that the
environmental values, are integrated into the plan and programme and the possible environmental effects of the subject matter plan or programme are minimized.
74
S. S. Gökalp Alıca