Second Sub-regional Workshop on the Practical Application of Strategic Environmental Assessment and Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment

The Second Sub-regional Workshop on the Practical Application of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) took place virtually on 29 June 2022.

Meeting objectives, expected outputs and outcomes

The main objectives of the workshop were to:

  • facilitate information exchange and experience sharing on SEA and transboundary EIA among the beneficiary countries and with the EU/UNECE countries;
  • discuss the topics of interest / issues identified by the beneficiary countries for the workshop and provide examples of international good practices in SEA and transboundary EIA.

The workshop included the countries’ presentations outlining the achievements and challenges faced when implementing EIAs and SEAs, as well as the case examples from the EU countries with a major focus on SEA in spatial planning. A separate session was devoted to the issues and topics of interest identified by the beneficiary countries, which had been collected by UNECE prior to the event through a survey.

The workshop resulted in a better understanding by the participants of the approaches and methods to be used in SEA and transboundary EIA to effectively apply environmental assessment to specific types of plans and programmes and to analyse the likely impacts on specific environmental aspects and issues. Additionally, the workshop contributed to a more effective implementation of pilot SEA projects in the beneficiary countries where such projects have already started or are being launched.

The workshop aimed at further developing the SEA and EIA systems in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in line with the UNECE Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention), the Espoo Convention and the EU Directive on SEA and the EU Directive on EIA.

Participants
The workshop gathered representatives of the Ministries of Environment and other relevant stakeholders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Participants were expected to have some background experience in SEA and/or transboundary EIA.

Background
Within the framework of the European Union funded EU4Environment programme, UNECE is assisting Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in comprehensive capacity- and institution building on SEA and transboundary EIA, along with finalizing legal reforms in this area. The workshop will be organized by UNECE to support further development of the SEA and EIA systems in the beneficiary countries in line with the UNECE Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention), the Espoo Convention and the European Union’s Directive on SEA and Directive on EIA.

As the second of the two sub-regional workshops on SEA and EIA planned under the EU4Environment, the event was built on the developments and achievements in terms of the countries’ SEA and EIA systems since the first workshop organized in October 2020. The workshop sessions were facilitated by consultants to UNECE.

Agenda

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