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 concerns here class-1 or class-2 classified activities and/or facilities, i.e. those whose impact on the surrounding environment is significant or medium.

As the 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:

• You complete the general application form and the annexed form(s) and other documents required depending on your project:
  • in paper format
  • online if the municipality where your establishment is located allows this: https://territoire.wallonie.be/widgets/map/w-map-dematerialisation-arne-etat-davancement
• You gather the documents to be attached to your environmental permit or single permit application.
• You submit the full application:
  • by filing it in several copies with the municipality where your establishment is located if you have chosen the paper form
  • by sending it directly online, if you have chosen the online form and the municipality allows this
• The municipality sends your application to the official(s) responsible for examining it.
• The technical officer analyses your application and checks that it is complete and admissible. In the case of a single permit application, the delegated official analyses the application at the same time.
• Once your application has been deemed complete and admissible, the technical officer requests the opinions of different bodies depending on the description and location of your project and a public inquiry by the municipality or municipalities concerned by your project.
• The technical officer draws up a summary report and a proposal for a decision and sends them to the competent authority, usually your municipality.
• You receive the decision granting the permit, with conditions, or the 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: https://iodda.be/public/annexes/7736/document/fr

1. Complete the general application form

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

You will have to:

• locate your project: contact details of the establishment, list of plots of land, environmental study
• 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 whether your project requires planning permission and is therefore a single permit application, or whether it affects municipal roads, etc.

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

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

2. Complete the annexed form(s)

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

If you submit your application in paper format, complete the annexed forms indicated according to your heading.

If you submit your application online, you will automatically be asked to complete the additional information relating to your project.

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.

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

If you complete your application online, make sure that you upload the documents correctly and name them properly.

Comply with the naming convention for the annexes to your single permit application (planning section), as these documents must be named specifically and contain precise abbreviations. Consult the related procedure concerning planning permission for more information: https://www.wallonie.be/fr/demarches/demander-un-permis-durbanisme

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

• by filing it in several copies with the municipality where your establishment is located if you have chosen the paper form:
  • 3 copies for an environmental permit
  • 4 copies for a single permit
  • +1 copy if your establishment is located in more than one municipality
• by sending it directly online, if you have chosen the online form and the municipality allows this

Keep a copy of your application!

5. The municipality sends your application for examination to the technical officer and to the delegated official for a single permit.

Deadline: within 3 days.

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

The municipality also sends 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 section of your application.

6. The municipality informs you by letter that it has forwarded your application to the technical officer and, where applicable, to the delegated official for planning aspects.

If you have not received this information letter from your municipality within 3 days, contact your regional technical officer and send him or her a copy of your initial permit application.

7. The technical officer, and the delegated official in the case of a single permit, analyse whether your application is complete and admissible.

Deadline: within 20 days for an environmental permit and within 30 days for a single permit.

• Your application is complete and admissible: the examination procedure continues (see point 8).
• Your application is inadmissible: the procedure stops and you are informed.
• Your application is incomplete: you are asked to provide further information within 6 months via your municipality.
  • If you do not provide the information requested within 6 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 requests:

• 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
• the organisation of a public inquiry by the municipality concerned by your project

Deadline for the municipality to publish the notice: within 5 days of the request from the technical officer and no later than 5 days 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.

This suspension extends all stages of the examination procedure for your file: opinions, 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 draws up a summary report and a proposal for a decision

For the report, the technical officer bases the assessment 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 the proposed decision are sent to the competent authority. This 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.

Deadline for sending the summary report, starting 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 receive the decision on your permit application by post

Deadline for sending the decision, starting 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 application: maximum 30 days for completing the summary report.

Deadline for temporary or trial projects: 40 days from the moment your application is complete and admissible.

An environmental permit is generally valid for 20 years.

You will receive the decision on your environmental permit application, starting from the date on which your file was declared complete and admissible:

• within 140 days for a class-1 project
• within 90 days for a class-2 project

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 Walloon establishments
• 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 technologies.

Use the tool made available to you on Mon Permis to, depending on your activity 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

If works need to be carried out to implement your environmental permit, you must submit an application for a single permit.