Decree No. 05/2025/ND-CP, which amends and supplements several articles of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP detailing the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020

✅ Decentralization of authority (New Article 26a) 

Provincial People’s Committees are now authorized to appraise Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports and issue environmental licenses for 7 groups of projects that were previously under MONRE’s jurisdiction, including: 

• Public investment projects (except those involving waste treatment/recycling) 
• Livestock farming 
• Slaughterhouses …and others as specified in Article 26a. 

🗂️ Streamlining administrative procedures 

• Raised thresholds for environmental licensing requirements, reducing the number of facilities subject to permits 

• Broadened minimum sensitivity criteria for environmental receptors to reduce licensing obligations 

• Adjusted related appendices to reflect reduced administrative burden 

♻️ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provisions 

• Repeals current procedures for applying for financial support from the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund for packaging recycling and waste treatment 

• Assigns MONRE and the Ministry of Finance to jointly develop a new financial regulation for EPR implementation 

📑 Terminology and Appendix updates 

• Replaces or amends several appendices (II, III, IV, V, VIII, IX…) and adds new ones (VIa, VIb, XXXIa, XXXIb) 

• Updates terminology, such as: 

• “National Committee for Incident Response…” → “National Civil Defense Steering Committee” 

• “Environmental Crime Police” → “People’s Public Security unit with environmental functions” 

• Repeals outdated or redundant provisions in Decree 08/2022 (e.g., clauses in Articles 65, 79, 83, 162, 167 and Appendix XII) 

⏳ Transitional provisions 

• EIA and environmental licensing dossiers submitted before the effective date will continue to be processed under the previous regulations, unless the applicant opts to follow the new rules 

• Projects already licensed may continue operating under the old license until expiry or switch voluntarily 

• Existing facilities missing documentation have 12 months to complete their applications under the new decree