As shown in Fig. 1, the task in the initial stage of the SEA process was deciding on its scope. Such a decision was reached with the participation of the professional community and the relevant institutions. This stage was followed by an analytical strategic environmental assessment which included: an assessment of the planning documents, i.e. planning concepts and strategic guidelines; an analysis of the state of the environment by means of GIS tools (Calvo et al., 2005, Higgs, 2006 and Josimović and Krunić, 2008); the assessment of its relation to other planning documents and strategies; and the identification of environmental issues. The next stage included setting the SEA objectives, relevant indicators and evaluation criteria, followed by an impact assessment procedure in which the first stage included the evaluation of alternative scenarios and the selection of the most suitable alternative. The alternative solutions were qualitatively evaluated by sectors of the BWMP according to the SEA objectives and criteria. The professional community and relevant institutions were again included in the process of choosing the most suitable alternative. Then, the process of multi-criteria evaluation (a semi-quantitative method) followed, representing the focal point of this paper. The role of multi-criteria evaluation is to identify the influence (both positive and negative) of the activities planned on the space in which they are being undertaken (the prediction of spatial influences) according to the SEA goals (environmental, social and economic). Measures aimed at limiting any negative consequences of the BWMP in the process of its implementation were based on the results of multi-criteria evaluation. The results stemming from the process are shown here in a manner comprehensible to all participants in the SEA process (Fig. 2). All the results of the SEA (including the opinions obtained through the public participation process) were presented in the SEA Report, which served as basis for the decision on whether to adopt, amend or reject the