Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in Ukraine

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in Ukraine

From the 12^th of 2018 in Ukraine, the law “On strategic environmental assessment” came into force. The pre-condition of approval of this law was the signing of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement and the law of Ukraine “On environmental impact assessment”. The strategic environmental assessment (SEA) – is a procedure of identification, description and analysis of the results of implementation of governmental development and planning programs. The strategic environmental assessment is carried out during the development of corresponded document of state planning before its approval.

The main aim of the strategic environmental assessment is a contribution of state development through environmental protection, ensuring safe activities of daily living and complying with the ecological requirements during development of state planning programs. The strategic environmental assessment of corresponded document substitutes the carrying out of the state sanitary-epidemiologic expertise of this document.

The force of the law “On strategic environmental assessment” doesn’t apply of state budget and financial programs; programs of economic and social development of villages, towns, cities, regions and the Autonomy Republic of Crimea; and documents of state planning related with the elimination of emergencies and national defense.

The participants of the procedure of the strategic environmental assessment are:

• Customer;
• Local self-government authorities;
• Executive authorities, central executive authorities in the field of environmental protection and human health (regional, city governmental administration and executive authorities of Autonomy Republic of Crimea);
• Community;
• State of origin;
• State of transboundary impact from the implementation of state planning programs.

The procedure of the strategic environmental assessment is a quite similar with the procedure of environmental impact assessment (EIA). The specific feature of environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment is carrying out of the public hearings to consider public opinion on environmental impact and safe activities of daily planning.

Here are the steps of strategic environmental assessment:

1. Identification of the scope of strategic environmental assessment.
2. Development of the report of strategic environmental assessment.
3. Carrying out of public discussions, and in case of transboundary impact – transboundary consultations.
4. Considering the report of the strategic environmental assessment and the results of public discussions.
5. Providing information on approval of the state planning programs (the subject of strategic environmental assessment).
6. The further monitoring of the results of implementation of the state planning programs.

All information, documents and report of the strategic environmental assessment are designated on Customer`s web-site.

The document of state planning that was the subject of the strategic environmental assessment should be considered the report of strategic environmental assessment, results of public hearings and transboundary consultations (in case of transboundary impact). After approval of documents that passed the strategic environmental assessment, the Customer has to within 5 business days to upload on its web-site this document, and also information on developed measures to monitor the results of implementation this document.

The strategic environmental assessment of the state or sectorial programs allows predicting not only the economic and social advantages of their implementation, but also ecological results for environment and human health. Considering with the ecological requirements ensures the reduction of negative impact on environment, compliance with the international environmental directives and sustainable development of the state.