On February 8th, 2023, the Government of Costa Rica, through the Executive Branch, has announced and signed the new decree of the General Regulations for Environmental Evaluation, Control, and Monitoring, which will enter into force four months after its publication on April 19th of this year, in Diario Oficial La Gaceta.
The purpose of the new regulation is to define all those general requirements and procedures to determine the environmental viability of; activities, developments, or projects that by law may affect elements of the environment, as well as to establish all those preventive measures that depending on the impact must be implemented by the developer of any project.
Minister of Environment and Energy Franz Tattenbach Capra stated, «The new regulation seeks to ensure a greater presence of SETENA in the field to verify compliance with environmental commitments. The country requires the conservation of natural resources and their rational and sustainable use. Still, it must also establish the necessary guidelines to contribute to investment and employment generation for economic reactivation.»
What is the D2 Form, and when to apply it?
The SETENA grants Environmental Feasibility Permits in our country; the D2 form is required for all projects framed in the development plan for its commercial activity, whether agricultural, industrial, or construction projects. In other words, depending on the project’s environmental impact, one form must be filled; in the case of low-environmental impact projects, the corresponding form is the D2. These types of projects fall into categories C and B2.
In the next post we will share with you, the guideline and relevant changes of the new regulation. However, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our blog section.
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