Law No.22 of 2010 concerning Mines and Quarries.

This Law consisting of 144 articles divided in VIII Parts aims at (i) regulating the operations of reconnaissance, exploration, mining, extraction of quarry raw materials, and artisanal mining; (ii) regulating the related rights and obligations; (iii) encouraging national and foreign capital in the field to satisfy the requirements of social and economic development of the State; and (iv) insuring ideal exploitation for mineral resources and quarry raw materials in compatibility with sound environmental management. According to the Law, the Government offers five types of licenses - issued by the Geological Survey and Minerals Resources Board - and the amount of prescribed fee of the applications of the license, extension, transfer and enlargement shall be determined by the Regulation. The licenses are as follows (1) reconnaissance; (2) exploration; (3) mining; (4) quarrying; and (5) artisanal. The law, for each type of license, specifies (i) how to obtain it; (ii) the cases for which it cannot be granted; and (iii) the rights it guarantees. The Law establishes that all mineral resources until it is extracted from its place of natural occurrence shall remain the property of the State.
Art.7 states that a licensed reconnaissance area should not exceed 10,000 square kilometers and has to be specified by geographical coordinates, and art.12 specifies that a reconnaissance license is valid for 1 year, possible to be extended once for an additional 1 year after reducing the licensed area by 50%. Art.17 states that a licensed exploration area should not exceed 10,000 km2 for metallic minerals and 5 km2 for quarrying raw materials. Art.33 declares that the period of validity of the mining license is as set out in the license and should not exceed 25 years, possible to be extended for one time or more without exceeding 10 years. Art.44 establishes the period of validity of the quarry in 10 years for small project, 15 years for medium project and 30 years for large project and may be extended for one time or more. Art.49 states that the area required for license of artisanal mining has to be a continuous area and should not exceed 1 Km2 and art.56 establishes that the period of validity of the artisanal mining license is two years and may be extended for one time or more without exceeding the period of one year. The licensee of exploration, or mining or extraction of quarry raw materials wishing to extend the area set out in his license should obtain the extension license as per a written application. The Law specifies the cases in which extraction of quarry raw materials is possible without a license.
The Law provides also for measures to safeguard health, vocational safety and environmental protection, in particular to maintain water and its source available in the land subject of license. Furthermore, the licensee for mining and quarry activities must prepare a rehabilitation plan in order to reinstating the site to the natural conditions as much as possible after completion of all his activities therein and dispose of the waste.