Strategic environmental assessment as an instrument for enhacement of public participation in planning

The paper presents an overview of experiences of public participation within planning, summarized in the "ladder of citizen participation". Further, considering that Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is seen as an instrument for operationalizing the sustainable development strategy, the stress is on the place, role and scope of public participation in SEA within planning. Special attention is given to the status of SEA regarding public participation in planning in Serbia. One of the conclusions of the paper is that by introduction of the "Plan for public participation" as a legal obligation, it could be the way for operationalizing pubic participation and further, enhancement of participation in planning. .