ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the question of how to improve the quality and legitimacy of Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIA) by enhancing stakeholder participation. It starts with a short review of the benefits and costs of public participation in impact assessments. Based on this, major challenges and obstacles to participation are identified and analysed; in particular, the selection of stakeholders and the structure of participation in the different phases and stages are investigated in more detail. The chapter raises the question of whether, in the area of trade, a more decentralized approach to SIAs might be more appropriate. In conclusion, it should be remembered that SIAs constitute a new and stillevolving tool. SIAs have the potential to play an important role in trade policy making and to render trade agreements and sustainable development mutually supportive. Public participation could increase the knowledge base, as well as increase the legitimacy of trade policy and thus facilitate its implementation.
