1. Introduction Purpose of the Practical Guide 1.1 This Practical Guide provides information and guidance on how to comply with the European Directive 2001/42/EC “on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment”, known as the Strategic Environmental Assessment or SEA Directive. The Guide is intended to apply to all plans and programmes in the UK which fall within the scope of the Directive. Specific guidance has however been developed for certain types of plans and programmes, particularly land use and spatial planning and transport planning (see paragraphs 1.10 and 1.11 below). Users should refer primarily to the relevant specific guidance when preparing those plans and programmes. 1.2 The Practical Guide has been developed jointly by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. 1.3 The guidance in this publication on how to comply with the Directive is not intended as an interpretation of the law, but should be read in conjunction with the SEA Directive and the Regulations which transpose it into UK law: • The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (Statutory Instrument 2004 No.1633) • The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 (Statutory Rule 2004 No. 280) • The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (Scottish Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 258), and • The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 2004 (Welsh Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 1656 (W.170)) 1.4 The first of the above SEA Regulations applies to any plan or programme which relates either solely to the whole or any part of England, or to England and any other part of the UK. Each of the regulations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland applies to plans and programmes which relate solely to the whole or any part of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 1.5 The SEA Regulations reproduce the Directive and do not add any further requirements. However, they adapt the Directive to arrangements in the UK in certain respects, notably by defining the authorities responsible for SEA (the ‘Responsible Authorities’), designating the organisations to be consulted (the ‘Consultation Bodies’, or in Scotland ‘Consultation Authorities’), and setting out time limits and other arrangements for consulting and informing authorities and the public. The Practical Guide refers to the Regulations, rather than to the Directive, only in connection with these matters. 1.6 Users of the Practical Guide may include: • The Responsible Authorities which produce plans and programmes subject to SEA; • The Consultation Bodies or Consultation Authorities with environmental responsibilities which must be consulted under the Directive; 6