Activities that require an environmental permit

On this page

• What is an environmental permit type 3 and type 4
• For which activities a type 3 environmental permit is required
• For which activities a type 4 environmental permit is required

What is an environmental permit type 3 and type 4

If your company is a type 3 or a type 4 company, you need to apply for an environmental permit. Your business is a type 3 if you carry out activities that have a greater impact on the environment. Your company is a type 4 company when carrying out complex activities that also includes safety risks. The activities are listed in Annex 1 to the Establishments and activities Decee BES (IAB BES).

For which activities a type 3 environmental permit is required

For these activities you always need an environmental permit type 3:

Equipment, installations and engines, for:

• one or more combustion plants (including generators) with a rated power greater than 20 kW
• one or more facilities or installations for devoid of fuels with a thermal or combined power greater than 1 MWth

Gases, for:

• manufacture of gases
• the storage of propane or propene in more than two storage tanks;
• delivery of LPG
• a cooling installation or refrigeration unit with a capacity per installation exceeding 1,500 kilograms of ammonia or 100 kilograms of propane, butane or a mixture of propane and butane

Explosives, for:

• storage of consumer fireworks with a joint storage capacity exceeding 1100 kilograms
• packing, repackaging, storing or transshipment of professional fireworks

Hazardous substances, fuels and flammable liquids, for:

• storing hazardous substances in underground storage tanks
• storage of liquid fuels or waste oils in storage tanks of a capacity exceeding 150 m³

Animals, agriculture and livestock, for:

• keeping for production of more than 300 pieces of poultry
• keeping more than 100 pieces of farmed animals in total
• breeding or keeping more than 200 birds or more than 50 mammals
• farming of consumable fish
• the slaughter of animals.

Power supply, for:

• manufacture, treatment or processing of foodstuffs, tobacco or raw materials therefor where the combined nominal load on continuous furnaces exceeds 400 kW
• growing algae.

Pesticides, for:

• manufacture of pesticides.

Building materials, for:

• manufacture or working with apparatus having an individual rated output exceeding 130 kW or a nominal load exceeding 130 kW of ceramic products, baking, ornamental or paving stones, roof tiles, porcelain or pottery
• manufacturing or working with apparatus having an individual rated output  exceeding 130 kW or a nominal load exceeding 130 kW of glass or glass objects
• mining stone or stone-like materials
• extraction, breaking, milling, sifting or drying of sand, gravel, lime or other minerals or derivatives thereof
• the processing or processing of asphalt or asphalt products.

Metals, for:

• manufacture of crude iron, crude steel or primary non-ferrous metals
• casting metals or their alloys
• hardening or annealing of metals or diffusing substances in the metal surface, when using salts, oils or gases other than inert gases or carbon dioxide
• treating metal surfaces by clean burning and pyrolysis
• the application of metal layers with cyanide-containing baths, with a total bath capacity exceeding 100 litres.

Transport, for:

• manufacture, repair, test running or external cleaning of aircraft
• construction or conversion of metal vessels
• manufacture, maintenance, repair or treatment of the surface of vessels of more than 10 metres
• mooring of seagoing ferries, container ships and cruise ships
• transhipment from ship to ship
• cleaning tankers
• more than 24 hours parking of dangerous goods transport units
• parking of more than three transport units with hazardous substances.

Wood and cork, for:

• impregnating wood by spraying, spraying or applying the vacuum pressure method.

Textiles, paper and graphic techniques

• manufacture of textiles and home textiles
• manufacture of paper or products thereof.

Weapons, for:

• where firearms are shot or thrown with flammable or explosive objects.

Catering services, for:

• the construction or operation of a golf course and other recreational or tourist facilities with an area of 8 hectares or more
• the construction or operation of land and buildings for accommodation for 10 rooms or more in sensitive areas and buffer zones.

Sport and recreation, for:

• the use of mopeds, motor vehicles or other motorised feeders or vessels in competitions, in preparation for competitions or for recreational purposes on grounds intended or arranged for competition, preparation for competitions or recreational purposes, driving with motorised vehicles, which are open for 8 hours or more per week for this purpose.
• the use of mopeds, motor vehicles or other motorised vehicles or vessels in competition or for recreational purposes in the open air
• giving outdoor music performances where more than 5,000 visitors can be present at the same time
• shooting in the open air with weapons working with air pressure or gas pressure.

Drinking water preparation, for:

• desalination of seawater for drinking water preparation;
• infiltration and extraction of water for drinking water preparation
• desalination of seawater for other purposes

Energy conversion, for converting:

• hydrostatic energy in electrical or thermal energy
• electric energy in radiation energy with a power or joint power for the conversion of more than 4 kW
• wind energy in mechanical, electrical or thermal energy with more than 5 wind turbines or wind turbines with a rotor diameter greater than 2 metres or a combined power of 5 megawatts.

Storage of other goods, for:

• the storage or transhipment of bulk or bulk goods other than the substances, preparations or products with an area for their storage of 2.000 m² or more. These are goods that are not listed in the other categories.

Hospitals, for:

• General, academic or categorial hospitals.

Waste, for:

• the processing, destruction or transferring of waste;
• landfill of waste
• deposit of waste on or into the soil
• the storage and transhipment of the following wastes coming from outside a company (establishment):
  • household waste collected or delivered
  • industrial waste collected or delivered
  • contaminated soil
  • hazardous waste
• processing or destruction – other than incineration – hazardous waste coming from outside a company (establishment)
• processing or destruction of end-of-life vehicles or storing more than 4 end-of-life vehicles
• the incineration of these wastes that come outside a company(establishment):
  • household waste
  • industrial waste
  • hazardous waste
• the placing on or into the soil of household waste, industrial waste or hazardous waste in order to leave these substances there
• compaction, cracking, cutting or breaking of scrap of ferrous or non-ferrous metals by means of mechanical tools having a motor or combined motor output of 25 kW or more
• the storage, processing and destruction of the following wastes from human and animal health care:
  • infectious waste
  • body parts and organs
  • wastes of cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs.

Wastewater

• storage, treatment and purification of waste water with a capacity of more than 500 population equivalents per year.

For which activities a type 4 environmental permit is required

For these activities you always need an environmental permit type 3:

Hazardous substances, fuels and flammable liquids, for:

• the storage and transhipment of petroleum, petroleum products or hydrocarbons in liquid state with a capacity for the storage of these substances or products of 2,500 tonnes or more.

Gases, for:

• storage of gases with a storage capacity exceeding 10 tonnes.