Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) UK

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DEFRA - Project Dates:
November 2007 - January 2008

Description of Project:
Directive 2001/41/EC (the “strategic environmental assessment” or “SEA Directive”) requires environmental effects to be taken into account in the development of certain plans and programmes.

The EFF programme runs from 2007 – 2013, replacing the previous fisheries grant scheme, Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). The EFF will provide grants for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

Services Provided:
The Consultants will prepare the Environmental Report (by end January 2008) – to include the following:

a) An outline of the contents and main objectives of the plan or programme, and its relationship with other relevant plans or programmes;
b) the relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme;
c) the environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected;
d) any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds and the Habitats Directive;
e) the environmental protection objectives, established at international, Community or Member State level, which are relevant to the plan or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during its preparation;
f) the likely significant effects on the environment, including short, medium and long-term effects, permanent and temporary effects, positive and negative effects, and secondary, cumulative and synergistic effects on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors;
g) the measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme;
h) an outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with, and a description of how the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties (such as technical deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered in compiling the required information;
i) a description of the measures envisaged concerning monitoring of the significant environmental effects of implementation of the plan or programme;
j) a non-technical summary of the information provided under the above headings.