Government Regulation no. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection, Organisation and Management.

This Government Regulation, consisting of 534 articles, implements the provision of articles 22 and 185 letter b, of the Act no. 11 of 2020 regarding job creation, and concerns and regulates all aspects related to implementation of environmental protection and management. The Regulation defines the following relevant terms: living environment; environmental protection and management; environmental approval; environmental impact analysis; environmental management efforts; environmental management and monitoring plans; environmental pollution; damages to the environment; protection and management of water quality; watersheds; groundwater basin; water bodies; water pollution; water quality standard; wastewater and wastewater quality standard; air quality protection and management; air pollutants; emissions; protection and management of sea water quality; sea; sea water quality standard; standard criteria for damage to the environment; marine pollution; coral reef; mangrove; seagrass; hazardous and toxic materials; waste; non-hazardous and toxic waste; toxicity; waste labelling; export of waste; waste management; waste reduction; waste disposal; utilisation of waste; waste treatment; emergency response system; technical approval; operational eligibility letter.
Matters covered by the Regulation concern: 1) Environmental Approval; 2) Water Quality Protection and Management; 3) Air Quality Protection and Management; 4) Sea Water Quality Protection and Management; 5) Environmental Damage Control; 6) Waste Management; 7) Guarantee Fund for Environmental Function Restoration; 8) Environmental Information System; 9) Guidance and supervision; 10) Administrative Sanctions and transitional provisions. Concerning Environmental Approval, the Regulation provides explanation on the different types of environmental study documents and permits needed compared to the type of activity and its impact on the environment. Concerning Water Quality Protection and Management, the Regulation defines technical approval for effluent discharge and effluent standards and its content: technical standards for wastewater discharge; standards for labour resources; environmental management system. The Regulation also concerns compliance report and monitoring of wastewater quality, internalisation of the cost for environmental protection and water quality management.
The Regulation classifies Air Quality Protection and Management into three classes: preservation of clean air; residential, commercial, agriculture activities; industrial activities. The Minister is empowered to set up air quality standards for low and high-impact emission activities, for mobile emission sources and for disturbance emissions. Protection and Management of Sea Water Quality concerns limitation of waste dumping to the sea and procedure for permits related to. The Regulation provides standard criteria for Environmental Damage and its Control, taking into account traditional practice and uses of local population. Concerning Waste Management, the Regulation distinguishes hazardous and poisonous wastes from non-hazardous and poisonous wastes: the two categories are better explained in the attached schedules. The following waste management activities are defined: reduction, storage, collection, transportation, utilisation, treatment and processing, landfill, dumping, transboundary movement of waste. The use of the Guarantee Fund is intended to restore environmental damages caused by companies and their business activities. The other matters concern: obligation of the government to develop an environmental information system; duties and obligation of the government to provide assistance and guidance for involved parties concerning the implementation of environmental protection and management policy; governmental authority to impose administrative sanctions on violations of the content of the Regulation.