SEA IN THE CONTEXT OF LANDTUSE PLANNING

effects), with less attention given to plans that present a strategic vision of the developmentof an area or an authority. The limited guidance available on the procedural elements on theimplementation of the directive will inevitably make its effect dependant on the discretionexercised by the Member States in their transposition and implementation. This alsounderlines the need for studies highlighting the character of the implementation at national,regional as local levels. With regard to the dual objectives of the directive, i.e. environmentalprotection and integration on the one hand and the promotion of sustainable developmenton the other, the procedural steps seem to be better suited to meeting the former objectives.The requirements of the directive and the EC’s SEA guidance do not seem to givesubstantive support of how the latter objective shall be achieved, based on the methodologyoutlined in the directive. It could therefore be argued that the picture of environmentalassessment drawn in the directive is primarily concerned with environmental integration, andis less suitable for fulfilling the broader aim of promoting sustainable development.25