Discussions under the Sofia Initiative on EIA showed that:

• many countries of CEE and NIS region formally request preparation of Strategic Environmental Assessment for national policies, plans and programs, yet there is only very limited practical application of these requirements. Where SEA is prepared, it is usually done for plans and programs (with exception of Slovakia that prepared SEA on the Slovak Water Management Policy), while most important national policies escape the required assessment. It is yet unclear what the quality of SEAs produced is;
• in the CEE and NIS region there is - in sharp contrast with limited application of SEA on national level - an extensive experience with environmental assessments of regional and local land-use plans. This rich practice takes place through traditionally well structured land-use planning systems in the region and its thorough analysis can potentially provide methodological and procedural advice for other types of SEA (i.e. assessment of national policies and programs).

The Sofia Initiative on EIA will therefore:

• prepare a regional study to define concepts and procedures of SEA in the region (i.e. framework laws and regulations), its institutional arrangement (i.e. integration of SEA into decision-making), approaches to SEA preparation (illustrated through methodological guidelines or on case studies) and SEA quality assurance within various countries in CEE and NIS. The study should build awareness about opportunities and deficiencies for development of SEA in the region - this can contribute to development of SEA methodologies and its legal framework;
• organize a regional workshop to review very practical SEA cases identified within the CEE and NIS.

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