SEA IN THE CONTEXT OF LANDTUSE PLANNING

preconditions for the introduction of the EC directive in Iceland; ‘Forsendur innleiðingartilskipunar Evrópusambandsins á Íslandi’ (Skipulagsstofnun 2003), published by the IcelandicPlanning Agency, the potential of SEA of SEA to make planning better equipped to promotesustainable development is highlighted. However, it is stressed that the planning environmentto which it is introduced limits the effects of the Environmental Assessment. One of theissues that are considered to increase the impacts of SEA to promote SD is that there is acomprehensive system of planning and operation plans in place with clear connections,horizontally as well as vertically, as well as between the different tiers and sectors. With theintroduction of the Planning and Building Legislation in 1998, the municipal plans becamethe fundamental planning instrument of the Icelandic planning system. On the other hand theformation of a planning strategy has not been distinct on the national or regional level, sincethere has not been a regional planning level in the country. However, there is visible anincreasing emphasis on planning and programming on the national level, as can e.g. be seen inlegislation on sector planning. Furthermore, there is an increasing consciousness of the needto coordinate planning strategies nationally, both horizontally between different programmingactors nationally, as well as (not less) vertically with regard to planning and programmingprocess with regard to environmental considerations, transparency and consultation. SEA ison the other hand not regarded to capable of creating connections between the differentsectors or administrative levels, if a comprehensive net of plans and programmes is not inplace.In England the expectations towards the directive in the context of spatial planning arenot easily interpreted, where the main objective of the introduction is to fulfil therequirements placed by the EU. The system of Environmental Appraisal has developed in theUK during a decade, where the instrument had taken different forms with regard to its scopeand role in the planning process, but thoroughly grounded in the ideas of sustainabledevelopment. Its statutory importance can be said to be highlighted as an example of animportant instrument in the national strategy for sustainable development, and integrated inthe Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act and in the guidance for the SEA implementationit is highlighted that the application of SEA to the planning process, can be integrated withthe existing process of SA.7.6 Analytical modelsLooking at the results from the review of the introduction of the SEA directive 2001/42/ECinto the national system with regard to three broader categories of implementation discussedby Emmelin and Lerman (2005), certain similarities can be identified. The categories arebased on the idea that the implementation of the EU directive could be classified into:• Minimalist, i.e. introducing SEA with the objective of implementing the directive in thespecific national context with minimum of disruption• Intentionalist, i.e. aligning national legislation with the intention of the directive• Environmentalist, i.e. use the directive as a lever to change national policy.The Swedish approach to implementing the requirements of the directive could be termed‘minimalist’ with the objective of implementing the directive in the national context withminimum disruption (Lerman and Emmelin 2005). In contrast, expectation levels have beenraised in Iceland that the directive can be used as a lever to change the national approach toplanning by strengthening the use of plans and programmes as policy tools (Thorgeirsson2003) and as a support in modernising the planning system (Thors 2004). With regard to the107