The Rural Development Programme must be subject to an assessment of its environmental effects in accordance with Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (the so-called SEA Directive), implemented in the Italian legal system by Legislative Decree no. 152 of 3 April 2006 and regulated at regional level with Regional Law no. 44 of December 14, 2012 amended by Regional Law no. 4 of February 12, 2014.
Through the resolution of the Regional Council no. 39 of 29 January 2013, the development of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022 of the Apulia Region was started and, at the same time, the process of Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Programme was started, entrusting the Environmental Authority with the role of support to the proceeding Authority in carrying out the SEA process.
The SEA is a process of prior analysis of the environmental impact resulting from the implementation of planning tools, in order to promote sustainable development and protect the environment.