The Committee on Environmental Policy, Nature Resources Utilization and Elimination of the Consequences of Chornobyl Catastrophe held a round table discussion entitled: “Prospects of implementing strategic environmental assessment in Ukraine in the context of European integration”
18 February 2015, 10:51
The people’s deputies of Ukraine, personnel of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, representatives of central and local executive bodies, as well as bodies of local self-government, scientists, representatives of international organizations and members of the public participated in the event.
Round table discussion was carried out jointly with the Project “Building Capacity in Evidence-Based Economic Development Planning in Ukrainian Oblasts and Municipalities” (EBED Project), financed with the support of Canadian Government.
The methodology, based on the experience of other countries, was elaborated and approved within the framework of the project. It was adapted to legislative requirements and the practice of regional development in Ukraine. The respective training programme and methodological recommendations were prepared.
In was mentioned that strategic environmental assessment is used in many countries throughout the world as a process for identifying environmental factors and possible environmental consequences of the proposed strategies, plans and programmes, and considering them when taking the respective decisions.
Strategic environmental assessment in the EU is regulated by the Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention).
Prospects for introducing strategic environmental assessment in Ukraine in the context of European integration were discussed during the round table discussion.
Meeting was held in the fruitful atmosphere and its participants were unanimous speaking about the necessity of implementing strategic environmental assessment as one of the elements for approaching the requirements of the EU legislation.