Within the framework of the European Union-funded “European Union for Environment” (EU4Environment) programme (2019 – 2023), UNECE is assisting Georgia in strengthening its SEA system in line with the Georgian Environmental Assessment Code that fully transposes requirements of the Protocol on SEA to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context and of the European Union’s Directive on SEA (2001/42/EC).

Since late 2021, to further enhance capacities for practical application of SEA in Georgia, at the request of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure (MRDI), UNECE has supported the preparation of a pilot SEA project for the two interlinked draft spatial plans to be developed for Gurjaani municipality: Spatial Arrangement Plan of the Gurjaani Municipality and the Gurjaani Town Centre Development Regulation Plan.  The pilot SEA will be implemented in 2022-2023 in parallel with the development of the two plans.

The pilot SEA will provide hands-on learning for applying SEA to draft spatial plans (involving analytical and consultative tasks and including, as appropriate, methodological coaching on the preparation and quality control of relevant documentation etc.) This kick-off event will introduce the pilot to stakeholders and the public in Georgia and is to be followed back-to-back by a technical training on SEA procedures for national experts on the team of the pilot project.

Meeting objectives, expected outputs and outcomes

• to introduce a pilot SEA project for the draft Spatial Arrangement Plan of Gurjaani Municipality and Gurjaani Town Centre Development Regulation Plan
• to brief on the status of and milestones for the development of these two spatial plans
• to outline the benefits and potential main constraints related to the implementation of the pilot SEA project