Strategic Environmental Assessment of the EMFAF Program
A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was conducted alongside the Austrian EMFAF Program 2021–2027. Its purpose is to achieve the objectives of an SEA: promoting sustainable development, ensuring a high level of environmental protection, and timely and appropriate integration of environmental considerations in the preparation of the program.
The SEA process in general, and the environmental report in particular, serve during program planning to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account in program development. The aim is to assess, based on the chosen priorities, what environmental impacts may arise, how potential positive effects can be enhanced, and how potential negative effects can be mitigated. The SEA procedure thus has an advisory character, and its recommendations were incorporated into the programming process and duly considered.
The environmental report as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the EMFAF Program 2021–2027 was prepared under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, with external support from the Austrian Institute for Spatial Planning (ÖIR), and in coordination with the competent federal and state authorities (environmental authorities in accordance with the SEA Directive).
During the public consultation, it was possible to provide comments on the draft environmental report from 30 November 2020 to 15 January 2021. The environmental report has been available in a provisional final version since mid-July 2021. After incorporating the findings into the programming process, the SEA was completed in January 2022.