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North WestEurope (NWE) Transnational Cooperation Operational Programma

Ex-Ante Evaluation

Strategic Environmental Assessment

Draft Environmental Report

Author: Belconsulting in collaboration with Ecotec Research and Consulting Ltd and Idea Consult

On behalf of:

Interreg NWE Programme Secretariat

july 2006

Contents

0.Strategic Environmental Assessment within the framework of an Ex-ante Evaluation

0.1.Introduction......

0.2.Contents of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Report......

0.3.Determining the environmental effects and their significance......

0.4.Procedure and timing......

1.Contents of the North West Europe Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme 2007-2013: priorities, objectives and actions

1.1.SWOT Analysis of the North West Europe programme area......

1.2.Joint transnational strategy......

1.3.Priority 1 : Developing the NWE knowledge-based economy by capitalising on our capacity for innovation in all sectors

1.4.Priority 2 : Managing our natural resources efficiently......

1.5.Priority 3 : Improving connectivity in NWE by promoting intelligent and sustainable transport solutions

1.6.Priority 4 : Promoting sustainable and dynamic communities at transnational level

2.Current state of the environment in North West Europe......

2.1.General remarks on the environment and on Europe’s environmental policy

2.2.Economic development and related pressures on the environment.....

2.3.Environmental developments......

3.Environmental policy framework......

3.1.Introduction......

3.2.Priorities of the Environment Action Programme 2002-2012......

3.3.Environmental Thematic Strategies......

4.Environmental assessment of the NWE Programme......

4.1.Evaluation of the SWOT analysis......

4.2.Assessment of relevance and consistency between NWE Programme and EU Environmental Policy

4.3.Assessment of environmental impact of the NWE Programme......

5.Measures and monitoring......

6.Non-technical summary......

List of abbreviations

EIA =Environmental Impact Assessment

ICT =Information and Computer Technology

ITS =Intelligent Transportation Systems

NWE=North Western Europe

PPP=Public Private Partnership

SEA = Strategic Environmental Assessment

SME = Small and Medium Entreprises

SWOT=Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

0.Strategic Environmental Assessment within the framework of an Ex-ante Evaluation

0.1.Introduction

This environmental assessment is carried out according to the European Directive 2001/42/EC on the evaluation of the effect of certain plans and programmes on the environment: the SEA Directive (Strategic Environmental Assessment. In Annex I of this Directive the contents of the environmental report is indicated. In Annex 3 of the Working Paper on Ex-ante Evaluation[1] guidelines are given concerning the way to deal with the environmental assessment requirements within the framework of an Ex-ante Evaluation of Structure and Cohesion Funds.

The purpose of the SEA Directive is to “provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development”. A Strategic Environmental Assessment shall be carried out for programmes and plans which are likely to have a significant environmental impact:

  1. which are prepared for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, industry, transport, waste management, water management, telecommunications, tourism, town and country planning or land use and which set the framework for future development consent for projects listed in Annexes I and II to Directive 85/337/EEC (EIA = Environmental Impact Assessment);
  2. which, in view of the likely effects on sites, have been determined to require an assessment pursuant to Article 6 of 7 of Directive 92/43/EEC (Habitats Directive).

The North West Europe Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme belongs to the first category.

0.2.Contents of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Report

According to Annex I of Directive 2001/42/EC the environmental report consists of following elements:

  1. an outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan or programme and relationship with other relevant plans and programmes;
  2. the relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme;
  3. the environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected;
  4. any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC;
  5. the environmental protection objectives, established at international, Community or MemberState level, which are relevant to the plan or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during its preparation;
  6. the likely significant effects[2] on the environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors;
  7. the measures envisages to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme;
  8. an outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with, and a description of how the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties (such as technical deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered in compiling the required information;
  9. a description of the measured envisaged concerning monitoring;
  10. a non-technical summary of the information provided under the above headings.

In this environmental report, the above mentioned elements will be described in five main chapters:

  1. Chapter 1: Description of the programme (point 1);
  2. Chapter 2: Description of the relevant aspects of the current state of the environment in North West Europe (points 2 to 4), based on the European Environmental Assessment Report 2003 (the Kiev Report);
  3. Chapter 3: Description of the environmental policy framework (point 5), based on the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme 2002-2012 and its 7 Thematic Strategies;
  4. Chapter 4: Description of the likely significant effects of the programme on the environment (point 6);
  5. Chapter 5: Description of the measures to prevent, reduce or offset these effects, including the monitoring measures (points 7 and 9).

The report will be completed with an introductory chapter and a non-technical summary (point 10). Since there are no alternatives to be evaluated, point 8 does not apply.

0.3.Determining the environmental effects and their significance

Annex II of Directive 2001/42/EC describes the criteria for determining the likely significance of environmental effects:

  1. The characteristics of the programme:
  • the degree to which the programme sets a framework for projects and other activities, either with regard to the location, nature, size and operating conditions or by allocating resources;
  • the degree to which the programme influences other plans and programmes including those in a hierarchy;
  • the relevance of the programme for the integration of environmental considerations in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development;
  • environmental problems relevant to the programme;
  • the relevance of the programme for the implementation of Community legislation on the environment (e.g. waste management, water protection,…)
  1. Characteristics of the effects and of the area likely to be affected, having regard, in particular, to:
  • the probability, duration, frequency and reversibility of the effects;
  • the cumulative nature of the effects;
  • the transboundary nature of the effects;
  • the risks to human health of the environment (e.g. due to accidents);
  • the magnitude and spatial extent of the effects (geographical area and size of the population likely to be affected);
  • the value and vulnerability of the area likely to be affected due to special natural characteristics or cultural heritage, exceeded environmental quality standards or limit values and/of intensive land use;
  • the effects on areas or landscapes which have a recognised national, Community or international protection status.

Since the NWE Programme is a policy and financing framework for potential projects but in itself does not include concrete projects, the description of effects and measures will be at a strategic and generalised level. In most cases no geographically well defined impact areas can be deduced, which limits to a large degree the potential detail of the effect description.

The following environmental aspects and their interrelationsships will be taken into account:

  • soil and groundwater
  • surface water (incl. the seas)
  • noise
  • air (incl. air pollution and climatic factors)
  • fauna, flora and biodiversity
  • landscape, material assets and cultural heritage (incl. architectural and archaeological heritage)
  • human life (population, socio-economic, health, traffic)

The environmental effects description will be presented as compact tables with brief and to-the-point (bullet) texts. For each priority, objective and (potential) action of the NWE Programme, the first table will deal with the consistency with / relevance to the European environmental policy, and the second table with a description of the significant effects for each environmental aspect.

0.4.Procedure and timing

Taking into account the tight schedule to submit the final programme to the European Commission, the following timing is hereby followed.


(n.b.The duraction of the public consultation has been extended to end September, end week 39.)

The following remarks can be added to this timing:

-One single approach is applied for all the countries involved. Although the SEA directive has been implemented in different ways in different member states, it was not possible to follow all individual legal procedures in the different member states involved, first of all for practical reasons related to timing and organisation. However, in this procedure, representatives of the different member states (IWP members and environmental administrations) were involved in the SEA process from an early stage (scoping note).

-In accordance to the stipulations of the SEA directive, a public consultation was organised on the following basis:

-Member states environmental administrations were contacted in an active way and in an early stage during the process concerning the scope and procedures of the SEA (june 2006).

-In principle, the member states are free to organise the public consultation of the draft environmental report according to the customs existing in their countries. However, in order to keep the timing of the elaboration of the NWE Programme in order, a common public consultation of the draft environmental report is organised which runs parallel with the public consultation of the programme itself and with the same duration of 6 tot 7 weeks. The draft environmental report is put on the internet site of NWE and, if desired, also on those of the individual environmental administrations. This is accompanied by an active announcement (by letter or e-mail) to the main stakeholders and parties likely to be affected by the programme.

1.Contents of the North WestEurope Transnational Cooperation Operational Programme 2007-2013: priorities, objectives and actions

1.1.SWOT Analysis of the North WestEurope programme area

In the draft of the NWE Operational Programme a brief analysis is made of the programme area, which includes the whole of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Luxemburg and important parts of France, Germany, the Netherlands and (non-EU member state) Switzerland.

The NWE cooperation area

This analysis is summarised in the following SWOT table:

SEA of NWE Operational ProgrammeJuly 2006Draft environmental report

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Table 1: SWOT table

Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats
The economy of NWE: trends in the labour market, knowledge base and ‘Lisbon performance’ /
  • High economic performance (GDP/capita): the ‘powerhouse of Europe’
  • critical mass in terms of high density of population and economic activities (e.g. human resources, proximity to large consumer markets)
  • home to important financial and decision-making headquarters
  • high levels of employment
  • good ‘Lisbon performance’: highly educated people and high number of staff in the R&D business enterprise sector
  • good provision of universities and research institutes
/
  • regional disparities in economic performance and growth (metropolitan versus more rural areas)
  • innovation and knowledge-economy sectors mainly concentrated in and around urban areas / regional disparities in R&D expenditure and employment
  • comparatively low level of R&D investment and
/
  • Large number of potential economic growth areas: due to economic mass potentially well placed to contribute to Lisbon objectives
  • further development in knowledge-intensive services and high-technology sectors
  • immigration of highly-skilled young people to metropolitan areas from other parts of Europe and the world
/
  • low economic growth rates in many parts of NWE following EU enlargement
  • regional disparities in levels of unemployment
  • widening gap between urban and rural areas in Lisbon-relevant economic performance
  • rising dependency ratios as result of demographic change (ageing and low fertility rates)
  • brain drain of highly qualified workers from NWE to the US, Japan, or Singapore

Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats
Natural and cultural resources and environmental trends /
  • wealth of diverse natural and cultural heritage
  • comparatively lower exposure to natural and technological hazards
/
  • high levels of pollution in core due to density of transport, population and economic activities
  • landscape fragmentation and loss of biodiversity
  • strong dependence on imported energy in some parts of NWE
  • low levels of use of renewable energy
/
  • decoupling economic growth from increase in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
  • increasing levels of energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources as a consequence of rising oil prices
/
  • Overuse of natural and cultural assets (high population density, large number of tourists)
  • Increasing number and severity of natural and technological risks, especially in highly urbanised parts of NWE
  • More serious river flood events as consequence of climate change in parts of NWE
  • Affects of rising energy prices on the territory given unequal distribution of potentials for increasing use of renewable energy

Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats
Accessibility and connectivity in NWE: transport and the information society /
  • High levels of accessibility: good road and rail networks, excellent network of inland waterways, concentration of major seaports, largest airport hubs in Europe
  • Strong position in logistics
  • Crucial geographical position in Europe, connecting North-South and West-East
  • Comparatively advanced level of ICT development in many parts of NWE
/
  • Core-periphery difference in levels of accessibility
  • Transport congestion in core areas of NWE
  • lack of interoperability / integration between transnational and secondary networks
  • limited performance and profitability of long-distance and intermodal services
  • continuing digital divide and regional disparities in take up of ICTs
  • limited take-up of Intelligent Transport Systems to date
/
  • improved and more sustainable modal split prompted by rising energy prices and geographical characteristics (e.g. inland waterways, maritime transport)
  • better organisation and use of existing networks, especially road and rail
  • strengthen NWE’s position as a global centre and its contribution to the Lisbon-Gothenburg Strategy through further take-up of ICTs and overcoming the digital divide
  • increase use of ITS by building on NWE’s innovation potential in relevant sectors
/
  • steady increase of flows through the area, increasingly multi-directional
  • rapidly increasing unsustainable modes of transport: road and air
  • different passenger transportation requirements due to demographic ageing, especially in rural areas
  • competition among ports, among airport authorities, and between airports and rail service providers preventing better territorial balance
  • increasing regional imbalances (urban versus rural) through unequal provision with ICT

Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats
The territorial structure of NWE and demographic characteristics /
  • High density of population and activities
  • Currently still growing population (mainly due to in-migration)
  • Good secondary urban networks
/
  • increasing territorial imbalances between urban and rural areas due to migration movements
/
  • Transnational agglomerations (Ireland/Southern Scotland; countries bordering the English Channel; SW Germany and East France) with great potential for territorial integration
  • Demographic gain in metropolitan areas due to immigration of mainly young people
/
  • Polarisation and depopulation tendencies as effect of demographic change and migration (e.g. increasing land use pressures in urban areas; overcapacity of infrastructure in rural areas)
  • Spatial and economic effects of low fertility rates and ageing of population
  • Variety in the organisation of governments as barrier to efficient transnational cooperation

SEA of NWE Operational ProgrammeJuly 2006Draft environmental report

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1.2.Joint transnational strategy

North West Europe is the ‘economic powerhouse’ of Europe, and home to important global command centres. Yet, it is also a diverse territory where regional imbalances continue to present a challenge for spatial integration. Joint transnational cooperation projects under the previous INTERREG IIC (1994-1999) INTERREG IIIB (2000-2006) programmes have aimed to increase territorial integration by promoting a balanced spatial development and by supporting durable co-operation networks between organisations and institutions within NWE.

The North West Europe programme (2007-2013) presents the next phase of transnational territorial cooperation in the area, by building on the achievements of its two predecessor programmes. The mutual learning process, which began with exchanges of experience in spatial planning under INTERREG IIC and continued with joint actions and strategies under INTERREG IIIB will for this period aim to achieve better territorial cohesion while strengthening the competitiveness of the cooperation area. In doing so, the Operational Programme addresses the challenges formulated by the EU Lisbon and Gothenburg strategies to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs, greater social cohesion and environmentally sustainable development patterns.

The North WestEurope Programme 2007-2013 – reflecting the trends and tendencies of the region’s socio-economic situation – will address those issues which require intervention at the transnational level. The programme will concentrate on the need to strengthen the knowledge economy by providing a more conducive climate for innovation and thus contribute to maintaining the competitiveness of NWE’s economy. It will seek to actively maintain the natural resources of the region and alleviate negative environmental impacts on the territory. It will address the regional disparities in the region with a view to achieving better accessibility and connectivity across the territory and a balanced settlement pattern. The programme will also include adaptation strategies for global trends that have a considerable effect on the spatial development of the territory, such as demographic change and climate change. In doing so, the NWE programme will not substitute any national or EU-funded programmes in related areas, but will concentrate on achieving an added-value by demonstrating the transnational and territorial dimension of the envisaged actions.