ABSTRACT
Most strategic environmental assessment (SEA) systems have one thing in common; the quest for effective ways to support the application of SEA. In this context, integration with existing environmental planning and management instruments is seen to be of particular importance. There are currently a range of instruments internationally that offer valuable support for applying SEA (Thérivel and Wood, 2004). These include, for example, environmental impact assessment (EIA) in the Netherlands, sustainability appraisal in the UK and environmental management systems (EMS) in Sweden. In addition, landscape planning instruments exist in a number of countries (Herberg, 2000).
