Environmental impact assessment: when is it mandatory in Algeria?

Before launching an industrial, mining, agricultural, or infrastructure project in Algeria, one question systematically arises for project developers: must their file include an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a simple impact notice, or neither? The answer determines the project timeline, the study budget, and ultimately, the obtaining of a building permit or operating authorisation.

The legal basis

The obligation for environmental assessment stems from Law no. 03-10 of 19 July 2003 on the protection of the environment within the framework of sustainable development, which establishes the general principle. Its implementing provisions are set out in executive decree no. 07-145 of 19 May 2007, which defines the scope, content, and approval procedures for environmental impact assessments and notices. This text has since been amended and supplemented by executive decrees no. 18-255 (2018) and no. 19-241 (2019), demonstrating that the framework continues to evolve — a development we monitor with each new project.

Three project categories, three different treatments

Decree 07-145 classifies projects subject to environmental assessment into three categories, based on their nature, size, and sensitivity:

• Category I — projects with the most significant environmental stakes: a full Environmental Impact Assessment is required, following the regulatory framework described below.
• Category II — projects with more limited expected effects: an impact notice, lighter than a full EIA, is sufficient.
• Category III — projects whose impact is deemed negligible: these are exempt from formal environmental assessment.

In practice, heavy industrial projects (petrochemicals, cement plants), energy and hydrocarbon installations, major infrastructure works, and structural agricultural and hydraulic developments most often fall under Category I. Determining the correct category early in the project — even before costing the study — avoids over-dimensioning or underestimating the file to be submitted.

What a compliant EIA file contains

An EIA report accepted by the Algerian administration follows a four-part structure:

1. Initial site assessment — an inventory of environmental components (physical, biological, human, and landscape elements), based on on-site measurements and secondary data.
2. Impact analysis — identification, qualification, and ranking of direct and indirect, temporary and permanent impacts.
3. Mitigation measures — elimination, reduction, or compensation of significant impacts, with each measure costed and scheduled.
4. Monitoring programme — tracking indicators, inspection frequency, alert thresholds, and reporting procedures.

File processing

The report is submitted to the Wilaya Department of the Environment (DEW) and, depending on the nature of the project, to the Directorate of Industry and Mines (DIM). Regulations set a 45-day deadline for the admissibility review of the file. An incomplete or non-compliant file systematically triggers a request for additional information — and therefore a delay to the project schedule, as the deadline is suspended until the file is regularised.

Anticipate rather than react

Best practice consists of integrating the environmental assessment question upstream of project design, rather than treating it as a last-minute formality before submitting a building permit application. An initial site assessment carried out early often makes it possible to adjust the location or process to reduce impacts — and therefore the volume of compensatory measures to be planned.

BTH Expert supports industrial, energy, and agricultural project developers in Algeria throughout the entire process, from initial regulatory scoping through to the submission of the report to the DEW and DIM. Contact our Team to assess the category of your project.