The workshop launched a comprehensive set of technical advice and capacity building activities envisioned for 2013 – 2016 under the Workplans of the Espoo Convention and its Protocol on SEA. The activities include carrying out reviews of the existing national regulatory and legislative frameworks, capacity building on SEA/EIA procedures, pilot projects, development of guidelines and other activities to strengthen administrative capacities of the national authorities in charge of the environmental assessment. The activities are funded by the EU Programme ‘EaP GREEN: Greening economies in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership countries’1 and among others aim to promote use of strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment as essential planning tools for sustainable development in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.