Changes to Environmental Law: Streamlined Energy Projects and New Water Controls

The Polish government has adopted an amendment to the Environmental Protection Law to streamline energy investments, simplify industrial procedures, and grant environmental inspectors new maritime control powers.

Streamlined Energy Projects and Water Controls

The government has adopted a draft amendment to the Environmental Protection Law designed to benefit citizens and Polish nature. The new regulations allow for more effective protection of Polish maritime areas against pollution by granting new control powers to voivodeship environmental protection inspectorates. The changes will also accelerate key energy investments and simplify administrative procedures while maintaining rigorous environmental and water protection standards.

Less Bureaucracy and Efficient Offices

The adopted draft amendment to the Environmental Protection Law involves simplifying procedures for adapting industrial installations to environmental regulations and expanding the scope of environmental inspectorates into maritime areas.

Prepared by the Ministry of Climate and Environment along with certain other acts, the changes will increase flexibility for businesses while maintaining existing rigorous environmental standards. The ministry noted that the project is part of the government’s broader deregulation package aimed at increasing the efficiency of the Polish economy and streamlining official procedures.

Integrated Permit Changes for Industry

The project simplifies regulations regarding integrated permits required for installations that may cause significant environmental pollution. It proposes exempting offices from the obligation to conduct additional analyses of integrated permit conditions after the publication of new BAT conclusions, which are EU environmental standards for industry.

Maritime Inspections and Local Decisions

The draft also stipulates that the issuance of permits for key energy investments will be taken over by specialized local and regional authorities, while voivodeship environmental protection inspectors are set to gain the ability to conduct inspections within Polish maritime areas.

Another element of the project is extending the time allowed to review inspection protocols and introducing the possibility of submitting comments before the conclusion of proceedings for entities subject to water management controls or environmental protection regulations.