All new regional plans and programmes in the EU countries and other European countries are proposed to be subject to a SEA, according to Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27th June 2001. The deadline for the implementation of national legislation is 21st July 2004. The SEA ensures that environmental considerations are taken into account in the development of large-scale planning policies. The SEA should comprise a general description of the plan or programme itself, its main objectives and its relation to other relevant plans and programmes. The SEA process integrates environmental considerations in the decisionmaking process prior to project-level EIA.