Although the Energy Sector Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia until 2015 envisages an increasing share of renewable energy (RE) in the total energy balance of the country and although there are plenty of wind energy initiatives resulting in the elaboration of planning and project documentation, no wind farms have yet been built in Serbia. One of the significant problems in the realization of these projects is the unjustifiable resistance of a part of local authorities and population, particularly related to the possible environmental impacts of the planned projects. In this context, the paper addresses the possibility of using the Leopold matrix in carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for “Kladovo” Wind Farm in Serbia (case study). The Leopold matrix is a framework method for assessing the environmental impact of a project. The novelty in this method, presented herein, refers to the evaluation of planned project activities relative to a group of criteria related to: significance (spatial dispersion), probability and duration of impact. The obtained EIA results have enabled the precise identification of possible environmental impacts of “Kladovo” Wind Farm project, as well as removal of dilemmas and problems related to the public resistance to the realization of the project through a transparent relationship with stakeholders.

Apart from wind potential, there are many other spatial factors which impact the possible implementation of wind farm projects. The spatial advantages and limitations of these factors can be used as criteria for selecting the most suitable location for a potential wind farm. The specific method for evaluating wind farm locations in this paper is novel because of its choice of spatial criteria and its two-stage evaluation procedure. The first stage involves the elimination of unfavorable areas for locating a wind farm, based on elimination criteria, using GIS. The second stage is the selection of the most suitable wind farm location using the PROMETHEE method. This is based on the multi-criteria evaluation of locations according to different weight categories and scenarios. The results are then multiplied based on which decision-making subjects can make appropriate decisions. The results indicate that the method presented has a universal character in terms of its application. However, its specifics in terms of quantitative statements for the individual spatial criteria used in the evaluation depend on the specifics of national and international regulations, the area in question and the particular project. By integrating the spatial criteria with the relevant legislation, this method has potential for global application. It aims towards systematicity, efficiency, simplicity and reliability in decision-making. In this way, potential conflicts and risks for investors and other users of the space are prevented in the earliest development phase of a wind farm project.

The paper analyzes the SEA status in the Republic of Serbia in the context of climate change problem. In addition to an overview of current legal framework, status and relationship towards the planning process, special attention has also been dedicated to the analysis of current practice - the SEA of plans of different hierarchical levels - for the purpose of giving insight into the current state. The paper stress that the development of the SEA in Serbia has stagnated since the introduction of the Law on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (?Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia?, no.135/2004 and 88/2010) in the sense that there are no special activities in innovating methodological and procedural framework, nor public participation initiatives. Further, results of research that has been carried out indicate that climate change problems have not been systematically treated in the SEA, i.e. in plans, and that the existing legal framework is not fully supportive of this problem area. Based on the results, the recommendations have also been formulated which, amongst other things, include the formulation of special guidelines for carrying out the SEA which would, in particular, treat climate change in the sense of instructions related to phases of planning, level and coverage of plans including also examples of good practice, as well as strengthening of institutional framework and permanent education.