Law 7/2003. Regulation on Equatorial Guinea’s Environment

This law provides the legal framework for environmental management in Equatorial Guinea. It promotes the sustainable use of natural resources while aiming for sustainable human development in the country. The conservation, protection and management of natural resources are of common interest.

The law also regulates air, water and soil quality, pollution, the conservation of environmental equilibrium, biological diversity and the environment in general.

The law is based on 4 different principles:
1. Precautionary principle - Prevention of risks to the environment.
2. Effective utilization of resources - To avoid negative impacts to the environment.
3. Participation - On information access, transparency and involvement in decision making to the general public.
4. Subsidiarity - Applicability of best practices when there is a lack of official regulation or guidelines.

As stated in Art 118 of Annex I, there are certain activities within the oil and gas sector which are subject to environmental authorization. These include combustion facilities with a thermal combustion power over 35MW, and oil and gas refineries.

The environmental authorization aims at preventing and reducing emission sources to the atmosphere, water, and soil, while looking at better managing these. As part of the process for an environmental authorization, an environmental risk assessment should be presented, as well as accident prevention and emergency response.

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