Strategic Environmental Assessment and environmental issues in programme evaluation Ivana Capozza Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

SEA Framework - Directive 2001/42/EC (1) Main goals: high level of environmental protection and integration of environmental considerations into the preparation of programmes, with a view to sustainable development Key points: – assessment of programmes that (may) have significant environmental effects – during the preparation of the programme and before its adoption – responsibility of the authorities in charge of the preparation/adoption of the programme Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

SEA Framework - Directive 2001/42/EC (2) Key points (continues): – environmental report: identification, description and assessment of likely significant env. effects of implementing the programme and of the reasonable alternatives, according to the objectives and scope of the programme – consultations of env. authorities and public on draft programme and env. report (at an early stage and before the adoption of the programme, effective opportunity to express opinion) – consideration of env. report and results of consultations in the final decision – information about final decision – monitoring of significant environmental effects Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

SEA and Structural and Cohesion Funds programmes NSRFs are not subject to SEA but good practice (Operational) Programmes for should be compliant with the Directive  screening Conformity of assessment – non-technical summary + statement + monitoring measures (SEA directive) – ad hoc information on consultations (who, how, timing) Integration of SEA and Ex Ante Evaluation of OPs Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

PROGRAMMING PROCESS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The Strategy Preliminary Strategic National Document Strategic Document for the Mezzogiorno Strategic Regional Documents (SRD) STRATEGIC dimension National Strategic Reference Framework Convergence, competitiveness and territorial cooperation objectives Priorities Final Programme OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMING Draft Programme Regional policy programme/Operational Programme (first draft) Reference framework and general objectives (from the SRD) Specific objectives Priorities and lines of action Definition of alternatives Targets Implementing provisions IMPLEMENTATION Environmental Report and non-technical summary Consultations Information Consideration of Environmental Report and results of consultations Environmental framework Assessment of environmental impacts and of alternatives Monitoring Modifications to the programme? YES Consultations Information NO Screening Scoping Consultations

General Issues How to integrate the SEA procedure in the overall programming and ex ante evaluation process? For example, by means of: – joint analysis of the regional context (including the environment)? – coordinated consultations? – is it enough to record the SEA results into the ex ante evaluation report? – other ? How to organise the process? Who is in charge of the assessment? For example: – do you carry out evaluation on your own? On which topics? Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

Critical Issues (1) Screening: – are ESF OPs automatically excluded from SEA? – what happens to modifications to OPs? Do they need a “screening statement”? Environmental framework: how to choose appropriate indicators (feasibility, level of detail, relationship with likely effects of the programme)? Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

Critical Issues (2) Environmental assessment (report): – how to choose environmental protection goals (national or regional strategy for SD, European strategic documents, other)? – how to select the reasonable alternatives? how many? – what kind of assessment: qualitative, target- bases, scenario analysis, … ? Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006

Critical Issues (3) Consultations: – how are you organising the consultations? – who are the authorities to be consulted? – on which basis do you identify stakeholders? – means and actions of information? – timing for participation? – which are the most important (expected) contributes from consultations? Monitoring: – who should be responsible for it (environmental bodies, managing authorities)? – indicators: only environmental or also process? Italian Evaluation Units Open Days Roma, July 5, 2006