075-i. Advice: approach for SEA for Free Trade Agreements

The NCEA advised on a generic approach for SEAs for free trade agreements between Central America and the European Union.

Advisory reports and other documents

Significant details

Since 2001, NCEA has been involved in a regional project of the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) and IUCN (World Conservation Union). The objective of this project is to harmonize and strengthen impact assessment systems in Central America. The NCEA contributed to several SEA workshops and facilitated the selection of an SEA pilot. The latter concerns the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America. The NCEA advised on guidelines for this SEA.

The SEA is based on a generic approach for SEA for free trade agreements (FTA), as developed by an NCEA expert group. This generic approach was presented in an advice of the NCEA. It is based on key principles of SEA, based on OECD DAC and NCEA experience. The NCEA's advice describes objectives of an FTA and an SEA, following with six components of SEA:

• The preparatory phase;
• The advisory group;
• The series of SEA rounds;
• Theme papers;
• Public participation;
• Monitoring and evaluation.

The generic approach for SEAs consists of a number of assessments which follow the approximately 10 negotiation rounds and related public participation. In each SEA round, the most important opportunities and risks for the environment in the actual negotiations will be identified and presented to the negotiators.

Parties involved

Members of the working group

Chair: Klaas-Jan Beek
Technical secretary: Johan Brons

Further details

Country: Central America; Europe

Last modified: 08 Sep 2014