Environment Ministry adds field verification requirement for investment permits

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Environment Ministry has amended guidelines on the environmental criteria required for project approvals and submitted the revision to the State Council, ministry adviser Dr. Ammar el-Atta said. El-Atta said the new regulation is awaiting official approval and is then scheduled to take effect. He said the updated rules would replace the outdated 2011 standards with expert mathematical models based on the nature of emissions and their impact on the environment. Under the draft, investment and service projects must be checked in the field to confirm that the required environmental criteria are actually being applied before environmental permits are issued. El-Atta said it would not be enough to rely only on environmental impact assessment reports. The ministry also said it has completed the implementation requirements for the national environmental monitoring and inspection initiative approved by the Council of Ministers last year.