BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 25. State programs for the development of the electric power industry will be adopted in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.
This issue was reflected in the bill "On electric power", discussed at a meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament.
According to the bill, in order to develop the electric power industry, the body (institution) determined by the relevant executive authority will adopt short-term (for a period of five years), medium-term (for a period of five to 10 years) and long-term (over 10 years) state programs.
In accordance with the procedure stipulated by the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On environmental impact assessment" (EIA), a document of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of projects of the state program will be prepared and a state environmental expertise will be carried out.
After discussion, the bill was put to the vote and adopted in the first reading.
The EIA procedure guarantees environmental protection and transparency with regard to the decision-making process for several public and private projects. Thereat, the SEA is a systematic process for evaluating the environmental implications of a proposed policy, plan, or program, and provides means for addressing cumulative effects at the earliest stage of decision-making alongside economic and social considerations.
Compared with the EIA, SEA provides strategic recommendations and allows better control over interactions or cumulative effects.