STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEEDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
Authors: Bilous L. 
Published: March 2019

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was considered as an environmental governance tool. The history of the development of the SEA and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) were outlined. The EIA was considered as an environmental management tool. The role of the SEA is determined by its place in the decision-making process. The SEA can be used to assess a proposed policy, plan or programme (PPP) that has already been developed; or it can be used to develop, evaluate and modify a policy, plan or programme during its formulation. The legal framework for the SEA is defined by Directive 2001/42 / EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programs on the environment (SEA Directive).
The SEA experience in Ukraine was analyzed. The reports of the SEAs of Development Strategies of Kremenchug, Gorishni Plavni and Dnipropetrovsk region were considered. The conclusion was made about the problems orientation of the Ukrainian SEAs. Inadequate attention to issues of comprehensive knowledge of the natural territorial organization, information inventory of natural resource potential of geosystems and ecosystem services are characterized by national SEAs. Inadequate attention to the issues of studying the natural organization of territories, inventory of natural resources potential of geosystems and ecosystem services are typical for the Ukraine SEAs.
А concept of ecosystem services (ES) was proposed as a basis for the SEA. It is a scientific environment for the study of ecosystems, their service potential and socio-economic value. The history of the ES concept was considered in connection with the activities of the projects and programs. There are «Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)», «The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (ТЕЕВ)», «Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES)». An overview of the ecosystem services classifications was proposed in the projects and programs.
The methodology of identification of ES in the context of ecosystems for SEA was considered. Ecoregion was defined as an object of SEA and environmental governance.
The review of the ecoregions of Ukraine was proposed. 12 ecoregions were defined as existing on the territory of Ukraine. The terrestrial ecoregions are represented by European mixed forests, the Eastern European forest steppe, Pontic steppe, Crimean Submediterranean forest complex, Carpathian montane forests, Pannonian mixed forests. The freshwater ecoregions are represented by Central & Western Europe, Dniester – Lower Danube, Dnieper – South Bug, Crimea Peninsula, Don. Marine ecoregion plays an important role in the nature protection system of Ukraine. This ecoregion is the Mediterranean Sea Ecoregion. The Black and Azov seas belong to its composition.
WWF has identified a list of Global 200 that contains 238 ecoregions (142 terrestrial, 53 freshwaters, 43 marines) priority for the protection of their habitat diversity and biodiversity. More than half of these ecoregions are marked as endangered. The habitats of two ecoregions from the Global 200 list are in Ukraine. These are the habitats of the terrestrial ecoregion European-Mediterranean Montane Forests (the mountainous territories of the Crimean and Carpathian regions) and the freshwater ecoregion Danube River Delta.