Strategis Environmental Assessment, Environmental Report

In 2005, a special requirement was inserted into the general planning process of a wide range of public plans and programmes with strategic importance: an environmental assessment shall be carried out. In accordance with the requirements laid down by 2/2005. (I.11.) Government Decree, an environmental report shall be prepared in case of concepts, plans and programmes with significant possible environmental impacts. In this report, the likely significant effects on the environment and the reasonable alternatives of the proposed plan or programme shall be identified. Although their name is quite similar, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) should not be confused with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which evaluates the environmental impacts of a given investment. The Strategic Environmental Assessment is an instrument of proactive environmental protection; it shows the interventions and measures with their possible environmental risks even in the strategic phase of the programming process. It should be elaborated for the concepts, plans and programmes of proposed future developments for assessing the environmental and sustainability performance of the abovementioned strategic documents. The Strategic Environmental Assessment shall be carried out during the preparation of a plan or programme (sectoral strategies, action plans, regional development plans) and before its adoption or submission to the legislative procedure.

In the past years, our company played an active and initiating role in spreading the SEA process in Hungary. The Env-in-Cent Consulting Ltd. was a co-coordinator of the group of experts, which elaborated the first Strategic Environmental Assessment in Hungary for the purposes of the Regional Operative Programme of Hungary’s National Development Plan in 2003-2004. In the last decade, we performed the coordination of more than 20 SEA processes (detailed in the References menu) in this field, and the Env-in-Cent Ltd. plays the leading role in the market. Our company – based on the suggestions and experiences of the authorities, professional and non-governmental organizations – has developed and introduced a special methodology for the elaboration of the SEA process, which is accepted by the “green” authorities and is widely used by other Hungarian SEA consultant teams. Our company can offer the following services to our partners in this field:

♦  Environmental Report: as the first step of the SEA process, a so-called environmental report shall be prepared for the plans, which content shall be elaborated with a continuous consultation with the relevant environmental authorities. 

♦  Organizing multilateral discussion for the stakeholders: the SEA process is based on a multilateral discussion of the proposed plans or programmes, where the developer shall ensure that the relevant environmental authorities and the public concerned are informed about the content of the report and they have the opportunity to express their opinion on the content of the draft plan, programme or the environmental report. The developer will “defend” the content of the document in the course of the consultation process.

♦  Services for “green” communication: the 2/2005 Government Decree on the SEA process requires the public participation during the whole process. It means that a continuous consultation with the public concerned must be provided and the public availability (both the residents and civil organizations) of the proposed plans shall be ensured, their opinion and proposals shall be taken into consideration in the decision-making process.

If you are interested in these services and activities, please contact our Managing Director, Dr. Tamás Pálvölgyi.