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.
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:
- Submission of the application
- Vetting for completeness
- Validation of the application
- In-depth review of the application
- Consultation & Public consultation (if applicable)
- 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
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