A9n Transboundary SEA
Nicholas Bonvoisin, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva
John Horberry, UK
Key issues to be addressed
Position Paper:
This session will examine how SEA can address the transboundary impact of plans, programmes and, to a lesser extent, policies. Both the UNECE Protocol on SEA and the EU Directive on SEA provide for informing and consulting authorities and the public in affected countries, as do a number of other local bilateral and multilateral agreements
However, there is limited experience in this field, particularly for consulting foreign stakeholders on a domestic plan, programme or policy having a transboundary impact. There is a little more experience where a strategic decision is being implemented across borders and there is some form of institutional framework for inter-governmental cooperation. For example, SEAs have been or are being prepared for the EU trans-European transport networks and for the Nile and Mekong River basins
Speakers will present their experiences in transboundary SEA and describe some of the key challenges. These may relate to points of contact, timing, equity, cost, language and compatibility of national systems for environmental assessment and public participation, for example. Session participants will be invited to discuss the practical problems of carrying out transboundary SEAs and to propose possible approaches