The Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC) (SEA Directive) has been a lurking legal presence in EU and UK environmental law. Now, just over a decade since its implementation, the impacts of the SEA Directive are beginning to be felt throughout the UK, and more broadly throughout the European Union as a whole. These developments have been driven both by the expansive interpretation of the Directive's scope by the Court of Justice of the European Union and by a slow learning process about how this new type of regulation should be legally interpreted and applied. This edited collection is the first volume to reflect comprehensively on the emerging legal identity of SEA in the EU and UK. With contributions addressing the impact of the SEA Directive on the fields of town and country planning and European environmental law, the book is a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the Directive, from its history and scope, to its impact on governmental policy and its implications in practice. The volume both reflects on key cases such as Case C-567/10 Inter-Environnement Bruxelles and HS2, and looks forward, as it considers and projects future legal implications of the SEA Directive. Written by a blend of distinguished academics and leading practitioners, it provides an in-depth critique and rounded appreciation of both the immediate practical effects of SEA and its wider impact on European and UK environmental law.

Part I: Understanding the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive1. The History and Context of the SEA Directive Robert McCracken QC and Ned Westaway2. The Transposition of the SEA Directive Gregory Jones QC3. Plans and Programmes Under the SEA Directive Valerie Fogleman4. The Meaning of 'Required by Legislative, Regulatory or Administrative Provisions'Simon Ricketts and Juliet Munn5. The Meaning of 'Early and Effective Opportunity' for Consultation Stephen Ashworth and Rachael Herbert6. The Role of Alternatives in the SEA Directive David Elvin QC7. From SA to SEA: Sustainability Appraisals and Strategic Environmental Assessment Jack Connah and Stephanie Hall Part II: Examining the Purpose and Impact of the SEA Directive8. Blazing Upstream? Strategic Environmental Assessment as 'Hot' Law Elizabeth Fisher9. 'Streamlining' the SEA Process William R Sheate10. SEA and the Control of Government Environmental Policy Eloise Scotford Part III: SEA Beyond Town and Country Planning11. SEA of Non-Town and Country Planning Plans or Programmes Gregory Jones QC and David Graham12. The Strategic Environmental Assessment and Water Framework Directives William Howarth13. Uncharted Waters: SEA in the UK Offshore Area Richard Caddell Part IV: The SEA Experience in Neighbouring Jurisdictions14. Strategic Environmental Assessment in a Cold Climate: The Scottish Experience Colin Reid and Denis Edwards15. Any Seaport in a Storm: The Northern Ireland SEA Experience 3William Orbinson QC16. Strategic Environmental Assessment: The Irish Experience Áine Ryall17. Afterword: Aarhus and HS2 Richard Macrory and Gregory Jones QC