According to the definition established by the Ministry of the Environment, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an environmental policy instrument whose aim is to help strategic decision-makers. In other words, to guide decisions that may have an impact on the environment and the sustainability of natural resources, whatever the planning body.

SEA contributes to the process of identifying and assessing the impacts and effects of these decisions, resulting from the implementation of a policy, plan or program, maximizing the positive effects and minimizing the negative ones.