ABSTRACT
One of the most recent trends in EIA is its application at earlier, more strategic stages of development - at the level of policies, plans and programmes. In the USA, since the enactment of the NEPA, this so-called strategic environmental assessment (SEA) has been carried out as an extension of project EIA in a relatively low-key manner. However, in the EC it has recently come to be viewed as a valuable technique for achieving sustainable development, and a directive on SEA is being discussed. The UK government is also taking steps to appraise the environmental impacts of its policies. SEA is likely to be an area of strong growth in the years ahead, and this in turn will influence - and improve - the process of project EIA.
