Law No. 399-Z “On state environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment”. Country/Territory Belarus Document type Legislation Date 2016 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Environment gen. Keyword Basic legislation Environmental audit EIA Land-use planning Transboundary effects Public participation Local government Data collection/reporting Geographical area CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), Eastern Europe, Europe, Europe and Central Asia Entry into force notes This Law enters into force after its official publication. Abstract This Law regulates relations in the field of conducting state environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment (EIA) and is aimed at ensuring environmental security of the planned economic and other activities, as well as the prevention of adverse environmental impacts. Strategic environmental assessment shall be intended definition of projects of state, regional and sectoral strategies and programs, urban development projects of possible environmental impacts (including transboundary) and changes in the environment that may occur in the process of implementation of programs, urban development projects with due consideration of their changes and (or) additions. Transboundary impact shall be intended environmental impact on the affected the parties that may be caused by the planned economic and other activities. State Environmental Audit, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental impact assessment shall be carried out in compliance with the following basic principles: (a) prevention of harmful impact on the environment; (b) mandatory performance of state environmental audit related to the documentation, which is the object of state environmental audit; (c) accounting for the integrated environmental impact of the ongoing and the planned economic and other activities; (d) preventing irreversible changes in the environment; (e) reliability and completeness of the information contained in the documentation; (f) public participation; (g) legality and objectivity of the conclusions of state environmental audit, environmental reports on strategic environmental assessment and reports on the environmental impact assessment. Objects od state environmental audit shall be urban construction projects, project documentation for subsoil management, mobile installations for waste management and waste treatment, coastal zone management projects, forest management projects and land use management projects. Sanitary protection zones shall be delimited for economic activities and production facilities causing environmental impact. This Law establishes plenary powers of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and the local government in the field of environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment. The period of execution of state environmental audit shall not exceed one month from the date of submittal of the documentation. The environmental report on strategic environmental assessment is presented at public discussions in accordance with the legislation on environmental protection. Citizens and legal persons shall have the right to request information on state environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment, take part in public discussions and appeal in court against reports on environmental impact assessment. Violation of legislation in the field of state environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment entails liability in accordance with the acting legislation. This Law consists of VII Chapters divides into 31 Articles. Chapter I lays down general provisions. Chapter II establishes state regulation and management in the field of state environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment. Chapter III establishes the procedure for the performance of state environmental audit. Chapter IV establishes the procedure for the performance of strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment. Chapter V establishes rights and duties of subjects of relations in the field of state environmental audit, strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment. Chapter VI regards dispute settlement. Chapter VII lays down final provisions. Full text Russian Website www.pravo.by References - Legislation Repeals Law No. 54-Z on state environmental audit. Legislation | Belarus | 2009 Keyword: Environmental audit, Transboundary effects, EIA Source: FAO, FAOLEX