Apply for an environmental permit or a single permit for a class-1 or class-2 establishment

Self-employed persons, company managers or private individuals required to apply for an environmental permit or a single permit (combined with planning permission) for their proposed establishment in Wallonia. 

The environmental permit or single permit relates here to activities and/or facilities in class 1 or 2, in other words those with a significant or medium impact on the surrounding environment. 

As an operator of an establishment, the environmental permit is an indispensable tool. 

It lists the operating conditions that you are required to comply with. 

You must therefore make every effort to avoid any action : 

• that would have an impact on the environment, health or natural heritage
• and, consequently, would have economic, legal and reputational consequences for your establishment

SUMMARY 

• Complete the general application form
• Complete the annexed forms and other documents needed depending on your project
• Gather all the documents to be attached to your application for an environmental permit or single permit
• Submit the full application to the municipality where your project is located
• The municipality will send your application to the officials responsible for examining it
• The technical officer will analyse your application and check that it is complete and admissible. For single permit applications, the delegated official will analyse the application at the same time.
• Once your application has been deemed complete and admissible, the technical officer will request :
  • the opinion of different bodies depending on the description and location of your project
  • a public inquiry at the municipality or municipalities concerned by your project
• The technical officer will draw up a summary report and a proposal for a decision and will send these to the competent authority (usually your municipality)
• You will receive a decision granting the permit, with the relevant terms, or a decision refusing your permit

DETAILED STEPS 

Find all the detailed steps of the procedure, as well as a flowchart summarising it, in the same downloadable document. 

1. Complete the general application form

This form helps you to describe all the different aspects of your project. 

You will have to: 

• provide details about the location of your project: contact details of the establishment, list of plots of land, environmental study, etc.
• present your project: type of project, planned activities, easements and other rights, process diagram and phasing
• present your establishment: description, EU directives, permits and authorisations, descriptive plan, list of buildings and allocated uses, list of facilities and activities, list of storage facilities (substances or mixtures, waste)
• specify if your project requires planning permission and is therefore a single permit application, mention if it affects municipal roads, etc. 

This form also allows you to specify the effects of your project on the environment, in terms of : 

• noise
• water
• air
• soil and groundwater
• traffic
• vibrations
• Natura 2000 site and biodiversity
• additional: cumulative, on neighbouring territories, other 

2. Complete the annexed forms and other documents needed depending on your project

Depending on the description of your project, you will be asked to attach one or more forms that are annexed or even other documents. 

3. Attach all the documents to be annexed to your application

Depending on the information you have mentioned in the general permit application form, you will have to attach certain documents detailing or justifying certain aspects of your project. For example : 

• a cadastral map
• a descriptive plan of your future establishment or extension
• proof of payment of the application fee related to your permit application
• … 

4. Submit the full application to the municipality where your project is located

You must submit : 

• three copies of your application for an environmental permit
• four copies of your application for a single permit

If your establishment is located in more than one municipality, one additional copy per municipality must be submitted. 

Keep a copy of your application ! 

5. The municipality will send your request to the technical officer for examination and to the delegated official for a single permit

Deadline: within three days 

The technical officer is the regional official responsible for examining your application for an environmental permit. This person is the director of the external branch of the SPW ARNE Permits and Authorisations Department. 

The municipality will also send your application to the delegated official if your application concerns a single permit (environmental permit + planning permission). The delegated official is responsible for examining the planning aspect of your application. 

6. The municipality will send you a letter informing you that it has forwarded your application to the technical officer (and to the official responsible for planning aspects)

What happens if you have you not received this letter from your municipality within three days?  Contact the regional technical officer and send him or her a copy of the initial permit application (see ‘Contacts’ section below). 

7. The technical officer will analyse whether your application is complete and admissible

Deadline: within 20 days 

Your application is complete and admissible: the examination procedure continues (see point 8). 

Your application is inadmissible: the procedure stops there and you are informed. 

Your application is incomplete: you are asked to provide further information within six months via your municipality. 

• If you do not provide the information requested within six months, your application will be declared inadmissible
• If your application is found to be incomplete the second time, it will be declared inadmissible

8. The technical officer will request : 

• the opinion of different bodies depending on the description and location of your project

           Deadline for receiving opinions from those bodies: 

• • 60 days for a Class-1 permit application
  • 30 days for a Class-2 permit application 
• organisation of a public inquiry by the municipality concerned by your project 

Deadline for the municipality to publish the opinion: within five days of the request from the technical officer and five days at the latest before the start of the public inquiry 

Duration of the public inquiry :

• • 30 days for a Class-1 permit application
  • 15 days for a Class-2 permit application
  • Suspended between 16 July and 15 August and between 24 December and 1 January

The suspension during these periods extends all stages of the examination of your file: opinion, summary report and issuing of the permit. 

For a class-1 permit, there are also other publication obligations, in particular publication in local newspapers. 

9. The technical officer will draw up a summary report and a proposal for a decision

The technical officer will base the report on :

• the opinions received from the different bodies depending on the purpose of your application
• the results of the public inquiry
• the opinion, if applicable, of the municipal college concerned

The report and proposed decision will be sent to the competent authority, which is usually the municipality. However, for certain environmental permit applications, it may be the technical officer and, for certain single permits, the delegated official and the technical officer. 

You can find the competent authority for your application on the letter you receive stating whether your application is complete and admissible (see step 7 of the procedure). 

Deadline for sending the summary report – the period starts from the date on which your application was declared complete and admissible : 

• 110 days for a Class-1 permit application
• 70 days for a Class-2 permit application 

10. You will receive the decision on your permit application by post

Deadline for sending the decision – the period starts from the date on which your application was declared complete and admissible : 

• 140 days for a Class-1 permit application
• 90 days for a Class-2 permit application 

Possible additional period for examining your request: maximum 30 days for completing the summary report. 

Deadline for temporary or trial projects: 40 days (starting from when your application is complete and admissible) 

Your proposed establishment must be located in Wallonia. 

Your project must be: 

• in Class 1: it includes at least one activity or facility with a significant potential impact
• or in class 2 : it includes at least one activity or facility with a medium potential impact 

The activity you are planning must comply with the operating conditions: 

• general: conditions to be complied with by all establishments in Wallonia
• sectoral: conditions to be complied with for specific class-1 and class-2 facilities and activities
• integral: conditions to be complied with for specific class-3 facilities and activities
• specific: conditions to be complied with that are specific to an establishment

These conditions are imposed when an environmental permit is issued. You are required to comply with them throughout the duration of your environmental permit. They are regularly updated to adapt to new knowledge and technological developments. 

Use the tool available on the Permis-On-Web site to, depending on your activity and/or your facilities :

• determine the class of your project, and therefore the impact of your project on the environment and the neighbourhood
• consult the legal references to be observed with regard to operating conditions