Report on Analysis of the Existing Elements and Gaps in the National Legislation of Georgia related to Implementation of the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Espoo Convention

This Report was prepared as part of the legislative assistance to prepare for drafting of the national legislation on EIA and SEA. The purpose of the Report is to identify SEA elements present in the current legislative framework of Georgia and to examine the identified SEA elements, detect gaps and develop recommendation to guide development of legislation for application of SEA in Georgia in compliance with the provisions of the Protocol on SEA. The Report briefly presents the requirements of the Protocol on SEA, summarizes national strategic planning system, environmental assessment system, and presents analysis of the key stakeholders. At present the Georgian legislation does not provide for the procedures for developing and adopting national, regional and/or sectoral strategies, plans and programmes. There is legislation on environmental assessment of specific activities (projects) that establishes the system of environmental impact assessment, however, Georgia has no particular legislation on Strategic Environmental Assessment.