2009-09 - IRI Portugal - FINAL REPORT - IMPEL

1. Executive Summary
The IRI scheme is a voluntary scheme developed by the IMPEL Network providing for
informal reviews of environmental authorities in IMPEL Member countries.
In line with the Recommendation for Minimum Criteria for Environmental Inspections
(RMCEI), this informal review of the Portuguese Environmental and Spatial Planning
General Inspectorate (IGAOT) by a broad cross section of the IMPEL network, focused
upon the inspection and enforcement of the IPPC and SEVESO Directives and where
relevant other EU Directives applicable to industrial processes covered by the RMCEI.
Throughout, the IRI team have identified several examples of ‘good practice’ and
‘opportunities for development’, when considering the implementation of the above
Directives during the review. Specifically, the review team have highlighted the
following as particularly strong examples of this:
Good practices:
• The central and formalised screening & tracking system for complaints;
• The exceptional Inspectorate’s information systems (GIS, GESTIGAOT and Risk
Assessment) and;
• The problem solving objectives and targets as described in their annual Activity Plan.
Opportunities for development:
• To develop multi-annual objectives;
• To make inspection reporting more efficient and;
• To use different types of interventions.
The review team considers that the objectives of the area of EC environmental law
within the scope of the review of IGAOT are being delivered in Portugal. Furthermore
the arrangements for environmental inspection and enforcement are broadly in line
with the RMCEI.
Overall the review team is impressed by the range of instruments and provisions that
IGAOT has developed over the last few years. This has significantly helped IGAOT in the
process of professionalization to which it is strongly dedicated. IGAOT has shown that a
relatively small inspection organisation can achieve major improvements and may serve
as an example for inspecton organisations with a similar size and scope of work.
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