Prime Minister Decree No. 964 of 2015 - Amendment of Executive Regulation of Law 4/1994

The amendment updates the excutive regulations of the Law 4/1994, governing environmental issues in Egypt, as previously amended in 2011. It includes several updates related to the environmental protection fund and coal handling regulations, including methane emissions.

This amendment identifies the different resources that contribute to the environmental protection fund, and the disbursement terms of such funding. The budget is allocated to finance different categories of environmental activities in Egypt. One category supports pilot projects in environmental protection, pollution reduction, and sustainable development. Another facilitates technology transfer to address environmental issues. 

The fund also finances required studies and analysis to set up pollution regulations and pollutants limits and prepare environmental programs. The fund has the right as well to install and operate pollution detection stations.

The resources are mainly allocated to local governmental institutions and NGOs. Private projects may access the fund, if the project falls within the fund scope, and after approval of the fund board. Although this fund could potentially be used to fund methane mitigation projects, there are no reports of it being used this way.  

The amendment made to the regulation adds annex 12 to the executive regulation which lists the proper coal storage and handling measures. It enunciates the need for a proper ventilation system to decrease methane and carbon monoxide. In addition, all facilities using coal in their activities must limit their emissions of climate change pollutants and comply with regulations on GHG emissions management. These emissions must be part of the environmental assessment of the facility. Plus, the facility must abide by a periodic emission review plan, to ensure their emissions trends are tracking environmental affairs agency updates and multilateral agreements related to climate. 

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