What is an investment proposal?
If you plan to build, install a system with a certain capacity, carry out activities with waste on site, use a water resource, breed fish or start any production, you acquire the status of contracting entity of an investment proposal and you must notify the competent authority of it before starting its realization.
According to the legal definition in Art. 1, item 17 of the Additional Provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) “Investment proposal” is:
a) Proposal for construction work or construction of installations or schemes
b) Other interventions in the natural environment and landscape, including mineral extraction
Art. 1, item 20 of the Additional Provisions of the EPA gives the following definition:
“Contracting entity of an investment proposal”is a public authority, natural or legal person who, under a special law, regulatory or administrative act, has the right to initiate or apply for approval of an investment proposal.
Interestingly, the definition defines the contracting authority as a person who has rights, but in fact the person is obliged, as required by special laws, such as the Spatial Development Act, the Water Act, the Renewable and Alternative Sources of Energy and Biofuels Act, the Energy Act, etc., to notify its investment proposal before issuing the administrative act for its authorisation under the special laws.
The consequences of not notifying are that you will not get the necessary permits to start the realization of your project. That is, your project may be blocked or stopped.
The procedure for initiating or applying for approval of an investment proposal is regulated mainly in the EPA, the Ordinance on the terms and conditions for carrying out an environmental impact assessment and an Ordinance on the terms and conditions for carrying out an environmental assessment of plans and programs, depending on the specific investment proposal, and taking into account the specific requirements in a number of other regulations.
The purpose of this procedure is to declare the intention, the manner in which it is implemented, the capacity, the accompanying activities, time and quantitative markers, etc., relevant to the possible environmental impacts and the measures envisaged to reduce the potential negative impact on it.
The purpose of all procedures under the Environmental Protection Act is to achieve strong prevention for the protection of the environment and human health.
Sometimes, due to misunderstanding, fear or lack of transparency, concerns arise among the population at the location of the requested investment proposal regarding the pollution of the environment in which they live, from harmful emissions or the accumulation of waste.
It is therefore crucial that the investment intention is developed in such a way as to give a clear picture of the project and the consequences of its implementation, which will also minimise the risk of its disapproval due to expressed objections from the public in its coordination.
Our services guarantee that you will not only meet the regulatory requirements, but also that we will develop your investment intention and project in a clear and transparent way to avoid potential public setbacks and objections.
In this way, we save you time and money that you would lose if your project is delayed or stopped.