An independent body to oversee strategic environmental assessment in Scotland: bureaucratic burden or efficient accountable administration? - A preliminary report

This report intends to inform the debate about whether an independent organisation to administer Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is needed to support the Scottish Ministers desire to make Scotland a world leader in SEA. Interlocking roles an independent body could perform were developed from literature about the administration of environmental assessment in several countries and studies regarding “effective” SEA; arguments for and against a freestanding administrative body have then been assessed in the context of these roles and existing/proposed Scottish legislation.