Business activities may entail environmental hazards. Legal and administrative measures are taken to minimise those hazards. Depending on the scale of its potential repercussions on the environment and on the health and safety of people, business activities are classified under the following scheme:
In all cases applications must be submitted to the correspondin Town Council, who according to the above mentioned classification, will ask for different documentation. Although the degree of detail depends on the business activity, the procedure can be summarised as shown in this table:
| Environmental Authorisation | Environmental License | Notification | Opening License (Alternative option to the Notification Rules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To which activities does it apply? | Activities with a major environmental impact | Activities with a moderate environmental impact | Activities with a minor environmental impact | Activities with a minor environmental impact as specified by the corresponding town council |
| To whom should applications be submitted? | To the corresponding town council | To the corresponding town council | To the corresponding town council | To the town council. The processing thereof is performed and decision taken jointly with the town-planning licence |
| Who grants authorisations or licences? | The Minister of the Environment of the Catalan Regional Government | The corresponding town council | It is not necessary to obtain authorisation or a licence in advance | The corresponding town council |
| What is the deadline for a Decision? | 6 months (no reply from the authorities implies disapproval) | 4 months (no reply from the authorities implies approval) | The activity may begin one month after notification submission | In accordance with municipal regulations |
| Initial verification | The authorities must verify fulfilment of the environmental authorisation conditions prior to the beginning of or change to the activity | The authorities must verify fulfilment of the environmental authorisation conditions prior to the beginning of or change to the activity | N/A | In accordance with municipal regulations |
| How often is it necessary to verify the fulfilment of authorisation or licence conditions? | Every 2 years provided that no other period is established by local regulations or the licence itself | Every 4 years, for activities corresponding to Appendix II.1 to the LIIA and to the DIIA; and every 5 years for activities corresponding to Appendix II.2 to the LIIA and to the DIIA. | Every 5 years | In accordance with municipal regulations |
| Periodic review | Every 8 years or upon the occurrence of certain events stipulated by the LIIA. Periodic reviews and inspections as established by sectorial regulations | Every 8 years or upon the occurrence of certain events stipulated by the LIIA. Periodic reviews and inspections as established by sectorial regulations | In accordance with municipal regulations | In accordance with municipal regulations |
| LIIA/DIIA appendix (LIIA/DIIA articles) | Appendix I (articles 11 to 23, 35 to 40 and 42 to 44 of the LIIA; and 24, 37 to 72 and 79 to 83 of the DIIA) | Appendix II (articles 24 to 40 and 42 to 44 of the LIIA; and 25 to 72 and 79 to 88 of the DIIA) | Appendix III (articles 41 and 45 of the LIIA; and 73 to 78 and 89 to 90 of the DIIA) | Specific activities corresponding to Appendix III (article 41.3) |
LIIA: Law 3/1998 of 27 February on the comprehensive intervention of the environmental authorities.
DIIA: General regulations for the development of Law 3/1998 of 27 February, relative to the comprehensiveintervention of the environmental authorities, approved by Decree 136/1999 of 18 May.
Business activities related to production, holding, transport or managing waste must also provide the Catalan Waste Agency with the information required and facilitate its inspection work, sample-taking and supervision to ensure the fulfilment of the objectives set out in the Law. Additionally, it is necessary to take into account specific regulations applicable to hazardous waste; radioactive waste; waste produced as a result of the prospecting for and the mining, processing and storage of mineral resources; non-hazardous waste from farms and livestock enterprises which is used exclusively for agricultural purposes; decommissioned explosives; sewage; and effluent gases emitted into the atmosphere.
Updated 20/10/2006
© 2007 Generalitat de Catalunya Disclaimer | Credits