# Spanish — Permitting and Environmental Law Sub-Lexicon

Maps Spanish environmental and permitting vocabulary to correct English
equivalents. Covers EIA, integrated permits, water, waste, nature, chemicals,
contaminated land, climate, and construction/urbanism.

## Regulatory Framework

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ley 21/2013, de evaluación ambiental | Environmental Assessment Act |
| Ley 7/2022, de residuos y suelos contaminados | Waste and Contaminated Soils Act |
| Ley 16/2002, de prevención y control integrados de la contaminación (IPPC) | IPPC Act |
| Texto Refundido de la Ley de Aguas (RDL 1/2001) | Consolidated Water Act |
| Ley 42/2007, de patrimonio natural y biodiversidad | Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Act |
| Ley 34/2007, de calidad del aire | Air Quality Act |
| Ley 26/2007, de responsabilidad medioambiental | Environmental Liability Act |
| Ley 7/2021, de cambio climático y transición energética | Climate Change and Energy Transition Act |
| Ley 38/1972, de protección del ambiente atmosférico (histórica) | Atmospheric Protection Act (historic) |
| Reglamento REACH / CLP | REACH / CLP Regulation |
| Ley 9/2017, de contratos del sector público (art. 145 — criterios ambientales) | Public Sector Contracts Act |
| Ley de costas (L. 22/1988) | Coastal Act |

## Regulators and Institutions

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO) | Ministry for Ecological Transition |
| Confederación Hidrográfica | River Basin Authority |
| Organismo de Cuenca | River Basin Organization |
| Consejería de Medio Ambiente (CCAA) | Autonomous Community Environment Department |
| ayuntamiento | municipality |
| SEPRONA (Servicio de Protección de la Naturaleza — Guardia Civil) | Nature Protection Service (Civil Guard) |
| Fiscalía de Medio Ambiente | Environmental Prosecutor's Office |
| OECC (Oficina Española de Cambio Climático) | Spanish Climate Change Office |
| AEMA equivalente nacional | national equivalent of EEA reporting |

## Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| evaluación de impacto ambiental (EIA) | environmental impact assessment |
| evaluación ambiental estratégica (EAE) | strategic environmental assessment |
| evaluación de repercusiones (Red Natura 2000) | appropriate assessment (Natura 2000) |
| declaración de impacto ambiental (DIA) | environmental impact statement |
| informe de impacto ambiental (procedimiento simplificado) | environmental impact report (simplified) |
| documento de alcance (scoping) | scoping document |
| estudio de impacto ambiental (EsIA) | environmental impact study |
| anexo I / II (proyectos) | Annex I / II projects |
| información pública | public consultation |
| consultas a administraciones afectadas | consultations of affected authorities |
| medidas preventivas, correctoras y compensatorias | preventive, corrective and compensatory measures |
| programa de vigilancia ambiental (PVA) | environmental monitoring program |

## Integrated and Sectoral Permits

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| autorización ambiental integrada (AAI) | integrated environmental authorization (IPPC / IED) |
| mejores técnicas disponibles (MTD) | best available techniques (BAT) |
| conclusiones sobre MTD | BAT conclusions |
| valores límite de emisión (VLE) | emission limit values |
| autorización ambiental única (CCAA) | single environmental authorization (regional) |
| autorización de emisiones a la atmósfera | air-emissions authorization |
| autorización de vertidos | discharge authorization |
| concesión de aguas | water concession |
| establecimiento Seveso (umbral inferior / superior) | Seveso establishment (lower / upper tier) |
| informe de seguridad | safety report |
| plan de emergencia interior / exterior | internal / external emergency plan |

## Water Law

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Directiva Marco del Agua (DMA) | Water Framework Directive |
| plan hidrológico de cuenca | river basin management plan |
| masa de agua | water body |
| estado ecológico / químico | ecological / chemical status |
| dominio público hidráulico | public hydraulic domain |
| concesión / autorización de aguas | water concession / authorization |
| canon de regulación | regulation charge |
| tarifa de utilización | utilization tariff |
| canon del vertido | discharge charge |
| vertido de aguas residuales | wastewater discharge |
| depuradora / EDAR | wastewater treatment plant |
| zonas vulnerables a nitratos | nitrate-vulnerable zones |
| plan de gestión del riesgo de inundación | flood-risk management plan |
| deslinde de DPH / DPM-T | demarcation of hydraulic / maritime-terrestrial public domain |

## Waste and Circular Economy

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| residuo | waste |
| residuo peligroso / no peligroso | hazardous / non-hazardous waste |
| residuos domésticos / comerciales | household / commercial waste |
| LER (Lista Europea de Residuos) | LoW (List of Waste) |
| jerarquía de residuos | waste hierarchy |
| prevención | prevention |
| preparación para la reutilización | preparation for re-use |
| reciclado | recycling |
| valorización (distinta del reciclado) | recovery |
| eliminación | disposal |
| fin de la condición de residuo | end-of-waste |
| subproducto | by-product |
| responsabilidad ampliada del productor (RAP) | extended producer responsibility (EPR) |
| sistemas colectivos / individuales (SCRAP / SIRAP) | collective / individual EPR schemes |
| Ecoembes / Ecovidrio / Ecoasimelec | Ecoembes / Ecovidrio / WEEE collective systems |
| autorización de gestor de residuos | waste manager authorization |
| registro de producción y gestión de residuos | waste production and management register |
| documento de identificación (DI) / e-DI | waste identification document |
| traslados transfronterizos | transboundary shipments |
| vertedero | landfill |
| incineradora / valorización energética | incinerator / energy recovery |

## Nature and Biodiversity

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Red Natura 2000 | Natura 2000 network |
| zona de especial protección para las aves (ZEPA) | special protection area (SPA) |
| zona especial de conservación (ZEC) | special area of conservation (SAC) |
| lugar de importancia comunitaria (LIC) | site of Community importance (SCI) |
| parque nacional / natural | national / nature park |
| espacios naturales protegidos | protected natural areas |
| plan de ordenación de recursos naturales (PORN) | natural resource management plan |
| plan rector de uso y gestión (PRUG) | governing use and management plan |
| especie protegida / en peligro de extinción | protected / endangered species |
| listado de especies silvestres en régimen de protección especial | special-protection species list |
| Catálogo Español de Especies Amenazadas | Spanish Catalog of Threatened Species |
| CITES | CITES |
| especies exóticas invasoras (EEI) | invasive alien species |
| montes de utilidad pública | public-utility forests |

## Chemicals and Biocides

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| REACH | REACH |
| registro de sustancias | substance registration |
| sustancia extremadamente preocupante (SVHC) | substance of very high concern |
| ficha de datos de seguridad (FDS) | safety data sheet |
| CLP | CLP |
| biocidas — Reglamento 528/2012 | Biocidal Products Regulation |
| contaminantes orgánicos persistentes (COP / POP) | persistent organic pollutants |

## Contaminated Land and Environmental Liability

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| suelo contaminado | contaminated soil |
| declaración de suelo contaminado | declaration of contaminated soil |
| niveles genéricos de referencia (NGR) | generic reference levels |
| análisis de riesgos | risk analysis |
| plan de descontaminación | decontamination plan |
| recuperación / descontaminación | recovery / decontamination |
| principio "quien contamina paga" | polluter-pays principle |
| daño medioambiental | environmental damage |
| amenaza inminente de daño | imminent threat of damage |
| medidas de prevención / reparación | preventive / remedial measures |
| garantía financiera obligatoria | mandatory financial security |

## Climate and Air

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| RCDE UE (Régimen de Comercio de Derechos de Emisión) | EU ETS |
| derechos de emisión (EUA) | emission allowances |
| autorización de emisión de gases de efecto invernadero | greenhouse-gas emissions permit |
| CBAM / Mecanismo de Ajuste en Frontera por Carbono | Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism |
| Fit for 55 / Objetivo 55 | Fit for 55 |
| neutralidad climática | climate neutrality |
| PNIEC (Plan Nacional Integrado de Energía y Clima) | Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan |
| valores límite de calidad del aire | ambient air-quality limit values |
| zonas de protección de la atmósfera | air-quality zones |
| planes de mejora de la calidad del aire | air-quality improvement plans |

## Construction, Planning and Urbanism

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| licencia de obras / urbanística | building license |
| licencia de actividad | activity license |
| declaración responsable / comunicación previa | responsible declaration / prior communication |
| licencia de primera ocupación | first-occupancy license |
| plan general de ordenación urbana (PGOU) | general urban development plan |
| plan parcial / plan especial | partial / special plan |
| normas subsidiarias (históricas) | subsidiary rules (historic) |
| clasificación del suelo (urbano / urbanizable / no urbanizable) | land classification (urban / developable / non-developable) |
| calificación urbanística | zoning designation |
| ordenanzas municipales | municipal ordinances |
| expropiación forzosa | compulsory expropriation |
| Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) | Cultural Heritage Asset |
| autorización de la Consejería de Cultura | regional culture-authority permission |

## Enforcement and Procedure

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| inspección ambiental | environmental inspection |
| acta de inspección | inspection record |
| resolución sancionadora | sanctioning resolution |
| sanción administrativa | administrative sanction |
| multa coercitiva | coercive fine |
| medidas cautelares | interim measures |
| delito contra el medio ambiente (arts. 325–331 CP) | environmental crime |
| recurso contencioso-administrativo | contentious-administrative appeal |
| legitimación de las ONG ambientales (L. 27/2006) | standing of environmental NGOs |
| Convenio de Aarhus | Aarhus Convention |
| Ley 27/2006, de acceso a la información ambiental | Environmental Information Access Act |

## Notes

- **Ley 21/2013 (EIA framework)**: Unified state-level EIA statute transposing
  Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by 2014/52/EU. Applies to projects subject to
  state authorization; autonomous communities have parallel regimes for
  regional projects. Verify whether a given project is sujeto a ordinary or
  simplified procedure — tight deadlines and significant translation
  consequences.
- **Ley 7/2022 (Waste Act)**: Replaces Ley 22/2011. Fully implements Single-Use
  Plastics Directive, establishes new EPR schemes (textiles, furniture,
  cigarette butts, tyres, agricultural plastics, fishing gear) phased in
  2024–2025. Introduces plastic-packaging tax. Critical for retail, FMCG and
  waste-management translations.
- **Ley 7/2021 (Climate Change Act)**: Sets Spain's climate-neutrality
  trajectory — 23% emissions reduction by 2030 vs 1990, climate-neutral by
  2050, 42% renewables in final energy consumption by 2030. Creates duty on
  large companies to publish decarbonization plans. Mandates carbon footprint
  and reduction plans for certain enterprises.
- **CCAA competence**: Environmental competence is heavily devolved. Each of
  17 autonomous communities has its own environmental authority, legislation
  (on top of state framework laws), and integrated-permit regime. Translations
  must identify applicable CCAA regime. Key CCAA statutes include Catalonia's
  "Ley de prevención y control ambiental", Andalusia's "Ley GICA",
  Madrid's "Ley de evaluación ambiental".
- **AAI — IPPC competence**: AAI is issued by the competent CCAA authority,
  not the State. Covers Annex I activities under Ley 16/2002 (transposing IED
  2010/75/EU). Renewal every 4–8 years. Must align with BAT conclusions.
  Practice point: AAI modifications distinguish "sustancial" (requiring new
  EIA) from "no sustancial".
- **Ley 26/2007 (Environmental Liability)**: Implements ELD Directive
  2004/35/EC. Strict liability for Annex III activities with mandatory
  financial security (since 2022, phased implementation). "Garantía
  financiera obligatoria" (mandatory financial security) thresholds specified
  in Order ARM/1783/2011 (Orden de umbrales MORA). Common in M&A warranty
  discussions.
- **Confederaciones Hidrográficas**: Nine inter-autonomic river basin
  authorities (Miño-Sil, Cantábrico, Duero, Tajo, Guadiana, Guadalquivir,
  Segura, Júcar, Ebro) plus intra-autonomic basins managed by CCAA. Competent
  for water concessions, discharge authorizations, and river basin plans.
- **Red Natura 2000 in Spain**: Spain has the largest Natura 2000 network in
  the EU (~27% of territory). Competent management is devolved to CCAA.
  Spanish case law (TS / TJUE) on appropriate assessment is abundant,
  especially around wind farms and coastal developments.
- **Delitos ambientales (Criminal Code)**: Articles 325–331 Penal Code
  criminalize serious environmental offenses. Article 328 specifically covers
  illegal waste management. Legal-persons criminal liability applies (art. 31
  bis). EU Environmental Crime Directive 2024/1203 requires expansion by 2026.
- **Ley 27/2006 (Aarhus implementation)**: Implements Aarhus through (i)
  access to environmental information, (ii) public participation, (iii) access
  to justice. Recognized environmental NGOs (registered under art. 23) have
  standing in environmental judicial review and may benefit from free legal
  aid. Heavily relied on by NGOs before contentious-administrative courts.
- **Cross-references**: See `spanish-real-estate.md` for building licenses and
  urbanism; `spanish-energy-infrastructure.md` for renewables permitting and
  EU ETS; `spanish-corporate-ma-jv.md` for environmental reps and warranties;
  `spanish-litigation-settlement.md` for administrative-court procedure.
