Abstract
This study examines how ecological impacts are addressed in the siting processes of European countries that are international leaders in offshore wind energy, and draws implications for Korea. The United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark are the countries with the most offshore wind installations after China. These European countries conduct strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) and appropriate assessments (AAs) at both the overall site planning stage and the individual site decision stage to evaluate ecological impacts from offshore wind power. In the UK, the SEA and AA for offshore wind are conducted separately at different stages of the siting process. Germany has three siting stages, and the Netherlands and Denmark have two siting stages, each of which includes both an SEA and an AA. Compared to the SEA, which assesses overall ecological impacts, the AA is limited to impacts on Natura 2000 sites, a network of protected areas for species and habitats. The ecological impacts of offshore wind are examined for birds, bats, marine mammals, fish, and benthic organisms.