Protocol on strategic environmental assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a transboundary context.

This Protocol, in relation to the already ratified Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, here sets out provisions aimed to promote environmentally sound and sustainable economic development, through the application of environmental impact assessment, especially as a preventive measure against trans-boundary environmental degradation. These principles are meant for Bulgarian national bodies and involved parties, and are aimed at granting a general high level of protection of the environment and health on different stages, mainly by: ensuring that environmental considerations are taken into account when developing plans and programmes; contributing to take environmental and health aspects into account when developing policies and legislation; establishing clear, transparent and effective strategic environmental assessment procedures; ensuring public participation in the strategic environmental assessment; and integrating, through these means, environmental aspects, including health aspects, into measures and instruments designed to support the sustainable development principle and efforts.
The Annex is also part of this publication (list of defined projects; list of selected criteria for determining the potential significant environmental impact; and additional information in relation with the provisions of article 7 and 8, see Annexes IV and V).