The SEA involved the preparation of an environmental report in which the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan or programme, are identified, described and evaluated.

Download : SEA environmental report for Lowlands & Uplands ERDF Programmes (Nov 2006)

The Scottish Executive sought the public's view on the following aspects of the report:

• the environmental baseline for the regions (and the trends over the programming period)
• the assessment of the environmental effects of the programmes and,
• the proposed approaches to mitigating those effects.
  

The public consultation concluded on 29 January 2007.

The Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) Statements have now been published. The SEA Statements describe the process of appraisal through which environmental protection and sustainable development have been considered for the new Programmes. The Statements also describe how the findings of the earlier Environmental Reports have been taken into account in the development of the respective Programmes

Download : SEA Statement for the approved Lowlands & Uplands Scotland ERDF Operational Programme for 2007-2013 (Mar 2007)

An initial screening of the broad programme priorities concluded that a full environmental assessment was not necessary for the European Social Fund (ESF) programmes.