How to Obtain the Environmental License

The Environmental License (EL) is the document that entitles investors to commence implementation of a project. The EL is issued by the Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA)  in compliance with the Regulations on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Decree 54/2015.

Mining and petroleum operations are governed by specific environmental regulations, namely Decree 26/2004 and Decree 56/2010, respectively. Compliance with the requirements of these decrees is essential to obtaining the EL. MTA is responsible for the approval of environmental assessment studies and the issuing of Environmental Licenses for all activities.

The Environmental Impact Assessment procedures comprise the following steps:

1. Title – Registration and filing supporting documents

The first step is to register the project with MTA, through the Provincial Service of Environment (PSE) in the Province where the project is located. Registration is done by submitting a pre-evaluation form, in accordance with Decree 54/2015. The project registration may be done by the project proponent or by consultants registered with MTA);

2. The purpose of registering the project is to give MTA information that allows the project to be classified according to the following categories:

Categoy A+ : the activities outlined in Annex 1 and classified as being of category A+, subject to the implementation of an EIS and supervision by independent Expert Reviewers with proven experience

Category A : the project requires a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Category B : the project requires a Simplified Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Category C : the project is exempt from EIA or SEA