Environmental certificate · Environmental impact assessment of an investment project (IEE / detailed ESIA)
土地登记/地契
ໃບຢັ້ງຢືນສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ · ການປະເມີນຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ຂອງໂຄງການລົງທຶນ (ການສຶກສາເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ / ແບບລະອຽດ)
Handling agency: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Source: 老挝官方公报/自然资源部 (https://laoofficialgazette.gov.la/kcfinder/upload/files/Ministerial%20instruction%20on%20initial%20Environment%20examination%20of%20theinvesment%20projects.pdf)
Where to apply
IEE → the provincial / capital Natural Resources and Environment Department where the project is located; detailed ESIA → the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Environment Department, central); the district NRE Office handles local management and monitoring (EIA Decree Arts. 71, 73, 74). Note: authority names changed with the 2025 reorganisation; confirm the current counter name locally.
Procedure
- Use the Grouping Catalogue (Arts. 2/3) to decide whether the project is group 1 (IEE) or group 2 (detailed ESIA); if unsure, screen it with the Environment Department (Art. 4)
- IEE: prepare the IEE report (with the management and monitoring plan) yourself or through a service provider, and hold the village consultation
- Detailed ESIA: first prepare the scope/ToR report for the Ministry to review, then have a licensed provider produce the full report
- Assemble the documents under Art. 14 (IEE) or Art. 25 (detailed ESIA) and file the approval application with the matching authority (provincial department / Ministry)
- The authority checks, reviews, consults and does a final review within the statutory limits; pay the fee and the review service charge
- Obtain the environmental certificate (issued before the investment licence, valid for the whole project life), then apply for the investment licence and start work
Statutory time limit
All limits are working days and exclude the applicant's revision time. IEE (provincial department): 5 (attachments) + 25 (content review) + 20 (consultation) + 5 (final review) (Arts. 15–18). Detailed ESIA (Ministry): 10 for the scope/ToR review (Art. 21) + 10 (attachments) + 50 (report review) + 40 (consultation) + 10 (final review) (Arts. 26–29).
Common questions and pitfalls
- Assessment before licence: the environmental certificate is issued before the investment licence — without it you cannot get the investment licence or start work (Arts. 8, 9)
- Do not confuse the level: IEE goes to the provincial / capital department, detailed ESIA to the Ministry (central) — different authorities (Arts. 15, 26, 71, 73)
- You cannot do a detailed ESIA yourself: it must be done by a licensed environmental technical service provider; self-assessment is expressly prohibited (Arts. 58, 69)
- Grouping follows the catalogue and thresholds: e.g. hydropower 1–5 MW → IEE, above 5 MW → detailed ESIA; the same size has different thresholds in different areas (poor-remote vs investment-favourable) (Grouping Catalogue Arts. 2, 3)
- Start within two years: if no operation begins within two years of the permit, the certificate is revoked (Art. 50)
- Village consultation is mandatory: both IEE and detailed ESIA require the village-consultation minutes, and the whole process must involve public participation (Arts. 14, 25, 39–42)
- Large projects need a financial guarantee: large or high-impact projects must post an environmental financial guarantee for restoration (Environmental Protection Law Art. 67)
18 items to fill in