Decree No. 45/2024 approving the Regulation on the Environmental Audit Process.

This Decree approves the Regulation on the Environmental Audit Process. The purpose of this Regulation, consisting of 20 articles, is to establish the principles and standards that should guide the exercise of environmental auditing in the national legal system. This Regulation applies to public and private activities at all stages of implementation, decommissioning and restoration that directly or indirectly influence the environmental components. The environmental auditing is a management tool for systematic evaluation and its purpose is to control and protect the environment. Among other environmental aspects, environmental auditing aims to verify: a) compliance with environmental legislation; b) conditions of environmental licences; c) implementation of the Environmental Management Plan; d) implementation of the Counterbalance Plan; e) Environmental Performance of the Enterprise; f) Environmental Performance and Monitoring Reports; g) previous public and private Environmental Audit Reports; and h) implementation of Action Plans.
An environmental audit has to evaluate: the impact of activities on the environment and public health; accident risks and contingency plans for protecting human beings within the area of influence of the activity; development activities according to the standards and parameters defined and applicable for its implementation; actual or potential levels of pollution or environmental degradation resulting from the implementation of development activities and other phases of activity; operation and maintenance of pollution control, prevention equipment and systems; measures to be taken to rehabilitate the environment and protect human health; train on system operation and maintenance, routines, facilities and equipment for the protection of the environment and human health; management and conservation of energy sources, water, raw materials and other resources; re-use, recycling, reduction, treatment, transport, disposal and safe disposal of waste; noise standards in premises; selection of new methods of production, inclusive industrial process and continuous monitoring systems for the reduction of pollutant levels; measures for prevention, reduction, control, contingency and emergency of accidents; research and development, use, storage, handling and transportation of controlled products. In addition, offences and penalties are specified in the text.