When is an Environmental Permit Required?

An environmental permit is required when an activity:

  • May cause pollution to air, water, or land
  • Is planned within a protected area
  • Could impact protected species of flora and fauna

What Activities, Operations or Interventions Require an Environmental Permit?

An environmental permit is required for various activities, including but not limited to:

Industrial Activities: Operations that may release pollutants, such as landfills, dry cleaners, petrol stations, fish farms, and solvent-emitting industries, Facilities that discharge substances into the sea

Waste Management Activities – Sites involved in waste transportation, storage, recycling, treatment, or disposal

Quarry Operations – that accept and/or recycle construction and demolition waste

Combustion Plants – Operation of medium and large combustion plants

Tree-Related Activities – Pruning, uprooting, transplanting, or other interventions on protected trees

Activities in Protected Areas – Activities such as clean-ups, filming, camping, and other actions within Natura 2000 sites and other protected areas

Work on Protected Species & GMOs –Research or interventions involving protected flora, fauna, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Trade or Movement of Protected Species – Import, export, re-export, or transfer of species covered under the CITES Convention

Transboundary Waste Shipments – Export and transit of waste to other countries

Extended Producer Responsibility – Compliance obligations for producers and importers of packaging materials, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), and batteries

This is not an exhaustive list. Refer to the First and Second Schedules of S.L. 549.172 – Environmental Permitting (Procedure for Applications and their Determination) Regulations’.

Additionally, further guidance on the scope of the activities/operations/interventions and permit requirements will be available

How to Apply

The Environment Permitting Unit only processes applications that are duly filled on the ERIS system.

Apply button

For guidance on using ERIS, refer to our application tutorial.

There are some exceptions to the above:

  • For clearances, applications are to be submitted by filling in the application form: here
  • For Trans-frontier Shipment of Waste, applications are to be submitted via email to [email protected]
  • For Waste carriers other than barges, and waste consignments applications are to be submitted via EWASP
  • For CITES applications are to be submitted via email to [email protected]
  • For GMOs, particularly concerning the placing on the market of genetically modified organisms and the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms, applications are to be submitted via email to [email protected]
  • For Packaging and Packaging Waste application forms can be found: here
  • For Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste application forms can be found: here
  • For Batteries and Accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators, application forms can be found: here
  • For the notification of excavations and use related to groundwater sources and metering of boreholes, application forms can be found: here

Permitting Process

The environmental permitting procedure is outlined in S.L. 549.172 and involves the following steps:

  1. Submission of the application
  2. Vetting for completeness
  3. Validation of the application
  4. In-depth review of the application
  5. Consultation & Public consultation (if applicable)
  6. Final decision on the permit

Requests for reconsiderations of decisions may be submitted to the Authority by filling in the following form

Applicable Fees

Application fees for the various activities are listed in S.L. 549.172

Contact the Environmental Permitting Unit for further guidance via customer care link.

More frequently asked questions can be found – here

Last Updated: 07/05/2025

Assistance services survey

Information services survey

Online procedures survey

Feedback on Single Market Obstacles

Your Europe Base Logo

No posts found