E5n Operating SEA knowledge centres
Petrie van Gent, Netherlands Commission for EIA, The Netherlands
Key issues to be addressed
Position Paper:
Strategic Environmental Assessment is an area in motion. First of all, there is still discussion on what SEA is (and what not) and on standards for good quality SEA. In some countries, there exists already a framework for SEA through legislation and regulations, and in other countries the introduction of SEA is still in its infancy. And having the legal conditions in place, then SEA should be applied in practice, but how do you design the process? And in countries without legal SEA requirements, it just emanates from EIA “with a broader view,” e.g., spatial plans and regional planning.
In this stage there is a large demand for knowledge and experiences, while trying to (further) develop SEA under different circumstances. Exchange of earlier experiences and information about ongoing work are an important means to facilitate this process. The IAIA congress in Prague offers a platform for an exchange on SEA developments. But what if you are not able to attend this or other SEA meetings? Then you depend on either personal or digital networks. During the Prague conference we will map out the role of SEA knowledge centres, where expertise and information is concentrated. We will discuss in how far these centres meet the needs, whether they are sufficiently accessible for different user groups and, where necessary, come up with concrete suggestions on how they can perform better.