Governance & Policy
EU Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive
European Union directive requiring environmental assessment of public plans and programmes, one level above project-level EIA.
Definition
The SEA Directive, Directive 2001/42/EC, requires an environmental assessment for plans and programmes in sectors such as energy, transport, waste, water and land use that set the framework for future development consent. It mandates an environmental report, consultation with authorities and the public, and consideration of reasonable alternatives before adoption.
Quick reference
At a glance
- Subject
- Governance & Policy
- Editorial status
- Editorial draft
- Definition status
- Established
- Last updated
- 19 August 2026
- Also known as
- SEA Directive · Directive 2001/42/EC
Overview
What it means
Environmental thinking must happen when the plan is written — not patched in later project by project.
How it is used
Planning authorities run SEA alongside plan-making; sustainability appraisals in the UK tradition descend from it; consultants tier SEA findings into project EIAs.
Why it matters
It moves environmental assessment upstream to where the big decisions — what gets built where — are actually made.
Review
Help keep this definition useful and accurate.
Submitted reviews stay private until an editor decides whether to accept and attribute them.
Contribute to this entry
How would you like to contribute?
Every endorsement and suggested edit is checked by an editor before anything changes publicly.
What happens next: we record your contribution, an editor reviews it, and we contact you if clarification is useful.