Environmental protection permit

Previously, sectoral environmental permits were issued: an ambient air pollution permit, a special water use permit, a waste permit, a mineral extraction permit, a greenhouse gas trading permit and, in addition, a hazardous waste management license. It often required several different environmental permits, in which case the disadvantages were multiple procedures and a lack of integration between sectors. Growing bureaucracy has caused resentment among customers. Until now, both the Environmental Board and the Ministry have been involved in the issuance of environmental protection permits, but in recent years there has been a tendency to transfer the issuance and management of permits to the Agency as a whole. With regard to large projects, the pressure on the environment has increased, so the use of the environment is increasingly sought.

Based on the general part of the Environmental Code, in 2019 we combined all previous permit types into one environmental permit. Previously, the structure of the Environmental Board had been reorganized to allow for deeper specialization and a more even distribution of burdens. Multidisciplinary environmental permits are now drawn up in collaboration with the Agency's experts. Society's expectations for a better living environment have risen, so the public's interest in having a say in granting environmental permits has grown. With the environmental permit, we are now ensuring a good connection between the fields, less bureaucracy and even more substantial public involvement.

The introduction of an environmental permit reduces bureaucracy and contributes to a high level of environmental protection. From 1 January 2020, a single environmental permit can be applied for in the environmental decision information system KOTKAS.