NEWSFLASH: COMPLIANCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY REGULATIONS IN EL SALVADOR

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (“MINTRAB”), through Minister Rolando Castro, announced that as of October 10 of this year, a massive campaign will begin, which will consist of the deployment nationwide of more than 600 technicians who will inspect all companies and workplaces to strictly and rigorously verify compliance with occupational safety standards. […]

New European regulations will have a heavy impact on Latin American producers

Recently, the Regulation regarding the marketing in the Union market and the export from the Union of certain raw materials and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation was approved. This regulation would prohibit the entry into the European Union of certain agricultural products that have caused deforestation in their country of origin. Latin American […]

Law to Combat Plastic Pollution and Protect the Environment

Costa Rica issued Law No. 9876, the Law to Combat Plastic Pollution and Protect the Environment, establishing ambitious goals to reduce plastic waste. However, said Law was suspended pending a Regulation not published until mid-April 2023, and whose main implications we will analyse below: Scope of Application: Under Articles 1 and 2 of the Regulation, the law […]

New Regulation seeks to promote the operation of water desalination systems

Water scarcity is a global challenge: one of the countries with the highest water availability per person, Costa Rica, does not escape this challenge and seeks to increase water availability through desalination–converting seawater into drinking water; however, this process requires expensive technologies and approval of a series of permits have limited its adoption in the […]

New Law lays the foundation to promote Health Tourism in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has positioned itself as a leading country in medical tourism, having received more than $437 million a year for this activity. With the recent Law for the Promotion and Development of Health Tourism Services in Costa Rica, the country now has a regulatory basis to enhance the development of such foreign visits. The […]

Monthly Newsletter: Environmental Challenges 2023

Regulatory changes, laws and implementation through regulations, and sustainable use, are some of the main environmental challenges for Central America in 2023.

Alternatives to Environmental Project Financing

Private environmental conservation initiatives generate undoubted benefits for society, but finding the funds to support them is a common challenge. Even though since the Paris Agreement, the funds available to finance environmental initiatives have been increasing year by year, many financing alternatives are complicated, involve a high degree of bureaucracy, or are just not known […]

Special regulations for the determination of fees for the use and development of water resources

On December 28, 2022, the Special Regulation for the Determination of Fees for the Use and Exploitation of Water Resources entered into force. The Regulation establishes the necessary procedures to apply the water use fee recognized in the General Water Resources Law (the “Law”) The Regulation establishes that all public or private persons who use […]

Electrical checks to have a Sanitary Operating Permit.

Recently, the different offices of the Ministry of Health began to request Electrical Verification Certifications for the renewal of Sanitary Operating Permits (PSF) that most establishments require to operate legally. Said requirement is based on article 13 of the General Regulation for Sanitary Operating Authorizations and Permits Granted by the Ministry of Health , the implications of […]

New Regulation for the comprehensive management of waste and common solid waste in Guatemala

The regulation that will govern waste management in Guatemala is published The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources published the Ministerial Agreement No. 164-2021 that contains Regulations for the comprehensive management of waste and common solid waste. Said regulation enters into force on August 11, 2021 and stands out for the following points: Promote the development […]

Ban on single-use plastics in Guatemala

On September 20, 2019, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources published Government Agreement 189-2019 through which the use and distribution of single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, plates and glasses is prohibited at the national level. disposable plastics, disposable plastic mixers and stirrers, disposable plastic containers or containers for storing or transporting food; as well as expanded polystyrene products […]

Law of Incentives and Promotion for Electric Transportation in Costa Rica

April, 2018 By: Luis Palacios, Zone Environmental Consultant On February 6, 2018, Law 9518 on Incentives and Promotion for Electric Transportation came into force, which seeks to promote, through economic and practical incentives, the use of electric cars in the country. This will help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in transportation, which is currently the […]

Environmental Due Diligence

April, 2018 By: Claudia Meléndez, Lawyer & Environmental Consultant of Zone Before carrying out commercial operations such as mergers, acquisitions or financing, it is appropriate to carry out a prior review of the environmental management of the companies involved. This in order to have enough elements to ensure an adequate risk assessment, but mainly, the sustainability […]

Basic Occupational Health and Safety Rules

Occupational Health and Safety has the objective of applying necessary measures for the prevention of risks related to work and plays a very important role in achieving the objective number 3 of sustainable development proposed by the United Nations Organization: Guarantee a healthy life and promote well-being for all. In practice, it is an extension to the […]

Neutral Carbon – ABC of Carbon Neutrality

What is Carbon Neutral and to whom does it apply? Being Carbon Neutral means that the production of a good, the provision of a service or its consumption has not emitted more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than those that have been captured or removed. This is why Carbon Neutrality is applicable to any organization, […]

The duty to recycle:

Recycling is essential to achieve the global objective of responsible consumption, and even constitutes a legal duty in many countries, including Costa Rica. Through the consensus of countries, the UN included recycling as one of the activities necessary to meet the sustainable development goals, which seek to end poverty, protect the planet and guarantee peace and […]

“FSC presents new procedure for the promotion and protection of forests”

On May 22, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) presented the new ecosystem services procedure, a global initiative that seeks to create incentives for the preservation of the valuable services that forests provide to the planet. The FSC is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the accreditation and certification of public and private entities that provide environmentally […]

Food Safety: Regulation in Guatemala

Cases of people contracting diseases due to the consumption of food or water that are contaminated by microorganisms, dangerous germs and/or toxic chemicals that can even cause death are regularly recorded. It is estimated that each year around 600 million people worldwide – almost 1 in 10 inhabitants – get sick from eating contaminated food. Water […]

New Regulation for the drilling of wells and use of groundwater in Costa Rica

On Friday, September 10, the new Regulation for the drilling of wells and use of groundwater was published , which is already in force. Below, we share the most important aspects of the regulation. Regulation for the authorization of a well The WATER DIRECTORATE assumes the role of single window for drilling procedures and will give a hearing […]

Trends in energy production and consumption

Energy production is responsible for around 80% of CO 2 emissions and two thirds of all greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming. Reducing these emissions is essential to ensure the subsistence of life on the planet, therefore, the Paris Agreement has proposed that each country determine its own objectives in order to keep the increase in […]

Soil degradation in Nicaragua

To continue with terrestrial life as we know it, proper soil management must be promoted, in order to avoid its degradation. The term “Soil Degradation”, in accordance with the provisions of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is defined as: ” a change in the health of the soil resulting in a diminished […]

Water Resource Preservation

The water resource in Guatemala is abundant, it has a large number of rivers and lakes throughout the territory. Among the most important bodies of water, Lake Atitlán, located in the department of Sololá, can be mentioned. It is a protected area under the category of multiple use reserve. Derived from this category, it has a technical […]

Climate Change and forest preservation in El Salvador

Pollution and the deterioration of El Salvador’s natural resources, to date, have not taken relevance on the list of national priorities, both for legislators, politicians and Salvadoran citizens in general. The execution of the plans and projects do not currently occupy the arena of the most relevant issues or national interest. El Salvador is one of […]

Greenhouse gases, climate change and Honduras

One of the main components of the atmosphere are greenhouse gases that accumulate spontaneously and due to human activities are capable of absorbing infrared radiation (heat release) from the earth’s surface, increasing and retaining heat in the earth. That is, they are those gases present on the surface of the atmosphere that give rise to the […]

Promotion of renewable energies in El Salvador

El Salvador promotes the creation of projects that promote the use of renewable energy through tax incentives. Investments that enable the sustainable development of projects that use this type of energy resources will benefit. All this in order to improve the quality of life of the population and comply with the commitments established in the “Kyoto Protocol” […]

Use of water in Protected Wild Areas

Recently, the draft Law to Authorize the Use of Water for Human Consumption and Construction of Works in Heritage and Construction of Works in Natural Heritage of the State was approved in second debate, which, if not vetoed by the president for reasons of opportunity or constitutionality, will soon be incorporated into the Costa Rican […]

Instrumentos Ambientales

Derived from the rise of the environmental issue worldwide, an awareness is being generated in the preservation of natural resources and the conservation of the environment, which is accompanied by a series of regulations to that effect. According to Guatemalan regulations, companies whose activities may cause damage to natural resources or the environment must have […]

Energy efficiency

The adequate or necessary consumption of energy is a type of measure that must be adopted in the use of said resource, incorporating more efficient electrical devices, that is, they consume less energy than the average electrical device, obtaining the same result; as well as making use of spaces with greater lighting, for the adequate use […]

Carbon Bonds and REDD Strategy

The Kyoto Protocol (2005) aims to force developed and developing countries to fight for climate change through international action to reduce emissions of Greenhouse Gases -GHG- that are responsible for global warming. . In this way, the famous “carbon bonds” arise, considered an international mechanism to offset carbon emissions to the environment. These bonds consider […]

Recycling duties increase for consumers and businesses in Costa Rica

Recently, Law 10031 entered into force, which modified the General Law for Comprehensive Waste Management (LGIR), expanding the recycling duties of the population in general and of companies that produce goods whose recycling is determined as a priority. Let us remember that according to the LGIR, the application of the 3 R scheme (Reduce, Reuse […]

International quality standards in food safety management FSSC 22000 Standard

FSSC 22000 is a Food Safety Management System certification scheme recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative). It can be obtained by organizations that participate in the food chain processing or manufacturing animal products, perishable vegetables, with a long shelf life, food ingredients such as additives, vitamins and organic crops, as well as materials for […]

The importance of an environmental regency

In the business environment, there is a diversity of obligations and requirements that must be developed and fulfilled, both at the national and international legal level, internal requirements of the company or of the parent companies, among others. One aspect that is generally the least attended by companies is that related to environmental aspects. Because it […]

Risk Prevention Management Programs in El Salvador

The General Law on Risk Prevention in the Workplaces of El Salvador is intended to establish responsibilities that guarantee a minimum level of protection of the safety and health of workers against the risks inherent to their activity. This law is in turn the result of the approval of the Convention on Safety and Health of […]

Current status of procedures for obtaining permits to operate a business in Guatemala.

In Guatemala, for any work, project or industry, a series of permits is necessary to operate, among which we can mention: Environmental Impact Study, which must be approved by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources as established in the Law for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment. Sanitary License issued by the Health […]

Digitization of Comprehensive Waste Management.

Decree 41525-S ” Regulation for the digital processing of records and authorizations of the Ministry of Health in the integral management of waste in the SINIGIR platform “ recently came into force , whose greatest novelty is to order all companies with a physical establishment to register and keeping a comprehensive waste management plan digitally updated. Both for […]

Annual environmental compliance obligations in El Salvador.

Individuals, companies, businesses or institutions whose activities are subject to environmental requirements must annually carry out a verification of environmental compliance with their obligations, which will have the purpose of collecting and analyzing information on the status of compliance, and will also allow detecting and correct possible violations of the law. In this opportunity we […]

Reports on Compliance with Environmental Control Measures Honduras

The Environmental Control Measures Compliance Reports (ICMA) are necessary for the registration of environmental control and monitoring actions of projects with an Environmental License in Honduras. The reports are required throughout the life of the project, including its construction, operation and closure stages, which have an Environmental License . This requirement is applicable when so provided by MIAMBIENTE or any Honduran authority with environmental competence . The ICMA serves as a periodic monitoring report on […]

Bill seeks solutions to plastic pollution.

On January 21, 2019, the Bill to solve the contamination of plastic waste entered the Economic Affairs Commission, which would once again make Costa Rica one of the pioneering countries in the fight against pollution and the conservation of the natural resources. This bill proposes very ambitious regulations that would prohibit public purchases of single-use plastics, […]

Regularize your company with an environmental instrument (within 8 months)

In Guatemala, every project, work or industry must have an approved Environmental Instrument and in this sense must comply with the provisions of the Environmental Evaluation, Control and Monitoring Regulation. Through this regulation, the entire structure, requirements and procedures related to environmental instruments, also known as Environmental Impact Studies, which are approved by the Ministry […]

Environmental Management System in Honduras

Environmental Management is the set of activities, processes , policies carried out by a company in order to balance economic development , the proper use of resources and environmental protection. Organizations that implement an Environmental Management System generate greater trust with their clients and a better position in the market, since they must comply with all the environmental requirements established by the administration, clients, and society as such to ensure compliance […]

Reforms to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations in Guatemala

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare issued Government Agreement No. 57-2022 containing reforms to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. These reforms come into force as of March 4, 2022. Among the reforms implemented, the following stand out: The powers and functions of the occupational health and safety committee must also be included in the […]

Amendment to article 50 of the Political Constitution of Costa Rica

Recently, the bill for the ” addition of a paragraph to article 50 of the Political Constitution to recognize and guarantee the human right of access to water ” was presented to the Legislative Assembly, which has the signature of all the deputies and seeks to be reaffirmed. , but this time in the constitutional text, that […]

Forest Fires in Guatemala

By Elizabeth Cardona : Lawyer and Environmental Consultant for Zone in Guatemala. Forest fires involve large, unforeseen fires that burn in natural areas; that is, in forests, grasslands or prairies. Wildfires can: Be caused by humans or lightning. Happen anytime, anywhere. The risk increases in periods of little rain and strong winds. Cause flooding or interruptions in transportation, gasoline, electricity […]

Compliance inspections as an environmental supervision tool in El Salvador

Compliance Inspections, as a core tool for the Supervision of Environmental Compliance in El Salvador, are carried out with the main purpose of preventing and reducing the negative environmental impact that may be caused by people, companies, businesses or institutions whose activities are subject to different environmental requirements. Article 28 of the Environmental Law establishes […]

Solid waste management in El Salvador

Improper solid waste management has been a constant problem over the years, whose urgency increases as we approach an environmental point of no return. Given this situation, it is essential to take concrete actions to reduce the amount of waste generated in the country. In El Salvador, more than 3,600 tons of waste are produced daily, […]

Prohibition of Straws and Plastic Bags in Costa Rica

Law number 9786 to Combat Plastic Pollution and Protect the Environment was recently published in the newspaper La Gaceta, which will come into force 6 months after its publication and whose regulations seek a drastic reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic items in the country and its subsequent recycling, in accordance with the principles […]

New deadline to regularize environmental instruments in Guatemala

On January 3, 2020, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources decreed a 3-year extension to the term for regularization of environmental instruments in Guatemala. Thus, existing projects have until December 16, 2022 to request their respective environmental license. The environmental instrument is a technical document that establishes the environmental impacts or risks and the actions […]

New resolution before COVID-19 in Costa Rica

The Government extends the term of concessions and permits for DISCHARGES that expire in 2020, THROUGH RESOLUTION R-0080-MINAE: The terms granted in those exploitation concessions and discharge permits are extended for one year. This measure seeks to support the productive sector in the face of the COVID-19 emergency, extending the term of water use concessions […]

Regulations issued in Guatemala due to the COVID-19 crisis

Through Government Decree 05-2020 dated March 5, 2020, the President of the Republic ordered a state of calamity and the immediate implementation of regulations that come from the Ministries of Economy; Labor and Social Welfare; and Public Health and Social Assistance. Said Government Decree has been modified and expanded by Government Decrees 06-2020 and 07-2020. As a complement, […]

Government of Costa Rica issues Guide for business continuity

The Government of Costa Rica issued the Guide for the prevention, mitigation and business continuity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace , which establishes a series of guidelines aimed at promoting the continuity of companies as a means of livelihood of society, while ensuring that the reactivation of economic activities does not imply an increase […]

Nicaragua approves reform to the Energy Stability Law for the incorporation of electric vehicles

On February 15, the Energy Stability Law was reformed, including a series of regulations that seek to promote the use of sustainable technologies that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and combat Climate Change. The most relevant aspects of the legal reform are: Electric vehicles are exempt from compliance with the gas, smoke and noise emission […]

Annual Environmental Compliance Obligations

Persons, companies, businesses or institutions whose activities are subject to environmental requirements must annually carry out a verification of environmental compliance with their obligations. This verification is intended to collect and analyze information on the status of compliance, and will also allow detecting and correcting possible violations of the law. Art. 9 of the Special Wastewater […]

Occupational health and safety compliance in Guatemala

Author: Ruben Fuentes – Lawyer & Environmental Consultant of ZONE The Government of Guatemala has implemented a series of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Among these measures is the declaration of a State of Calamity and the issuance of Presidential Provisions that are updated at least once a week. The established government measures are mandatory for […]

Evolving towards the culture of prevention

COVID -19 came to change the reality of the world as we currently know it and therefore the way companies operate. It is difficult to think that after this crisis that organizations will return to where they were before, to operate as before, in a way in which prevention is usually seen as an expense and not […]

Nicaragua Ratifies Escazú Agreement

Recently, the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua ratified the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, also known as the Escazú Agreement. This Agreement has the objective of guaranteeing the full and effective implementation of the rights of access to environmental […]

Reduction of procedures and requirements for economic reactivation in Costa Rica

Recently, guideline number 085-MIDEPLAN-MEIC was issued to reduce procedures in Central Government entities, decentralized institutions and municipalities in search of the economic recovery of the country. With this, the Public Administration has 3 ways to process the issuance of permits necessary for the development of economic activities, which we detail: Affidavit: It seeks to streamline 119 […]

Risk Prevention – Health and Safety at Work in Costa Rica

According to the World Health Organization, Occupational Health and Safety management is a multidisciplinary activity that promotes the protection of health, physical, mental and social well-being of workers. Costa Rica is a country that has been characterized by its achievements in terms of Health and Social Security, with which over time it has managed to […]

Biosafety Guidelines for land cargo transportation in Central America

These guidelines were approved by the Council of Ministers of Economic Integration (COMIECO) and the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMISCA), with the following objectives: establish coordinated procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, guarantee the health of cargo carriers, the cleaning and disinfection of means of transport […]

Occupational health and safety protection standards for companies

The duty to take care of the Health and Safety of workers in their work functions has existed in all the countries of the region for years, but one of the lessons that COVID-19 leaves us is that these measures take on even greater importance to guarantee the sustainability of the company in a century […]

Occupational Hygiene and Safety in Nicaragua

The hygiene and safety of collaborators in companies is an issue that regains special importance in the circumstance of the pandemic caused by Covid-19 in which we currently find ourselves. With the entry of the virus into the country, various economic sectors were affected, mainly those related to services, commerce and tourism. The current national legislation […]

Relevant information on occupational health and safety in Honduras

Occupational health and safety is an issue that has become very relevant in companies today due to the Pandemic that the entire world is experiencing. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have had to transform the way we work to prevent the spread and contagion of the virus. In terms of Occupational Health and Safety, the Government […]

New regulations require companies to quantify and publish their carbon emissions globally.

Over the last few months there has been a huge increase in environmental compliance duties globally , to the point where, in the near future, all companies listed on international stock exchanges would have to publish their greenhouse gas emissions and explain the initiatives they are taking to reduce them. The most notable recent news is the […]

Timely diagnosis of environmental performance

Environmental performance is the measurable result of an evaluation of compliance in an organization, whether or not it has an implemented environmental management system. In this sense, the evaluation or diagnosis of environmental aspects allows timely detection of the existence of environmental risks and outlining the criteria of environmental behavior. In this way, it is possible […]

Nicaragua Ratifies Amendment to the Montreal Protocol

Nicaragua recently approved the amendment to the Montreal Protocol that was carried out in 2016. With this step, Nicaragua reinforces its position of union in the fight against global warming. The Montreal Protocol is an international environmental agreement aimed at protecting the earth’s ozone layer by limiting and eventually eliminating ozone-depleting substances (ODS). In this […]

Main changes of the new regulation for fuel storage in Costa Rica

This October, the Regulations for the authorization and registration of stationary tanks for self-consumption of fuels (Decree 42497-MINAE-S ) entered into force, which modifies the necessary requirements to have fuel storage tanks for self-consumption. The main considerations to take into account regarding this regulation are the following: What type of tanks does it apply to? As its […]

The ministry of the environment of el salvador approves the extension of the deadline for presentation of the environmental management program

On November 6 of this year, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources issued a statement informing the owners of activities, works, or projects and natural or legal persons that have an environmental permit that they have not submitted. the Adjusted Environmental Management Program, in the period of one year from the entry into […]

Approval of reform to Law 620, General Law of National Waters in Nicaragua

Recently, the National Assembly of the Republic of Nicaragua approved Law No. 1046, Reform Law to Law No. 620, General Law of National Waters. The General Water Law was approved in 2007, with the aim of establishing the institutional legal framework for the administration, conservation, development, use, sustainable, equitable use and preservation in quantity and quality […]

Sanitary license for factories and warehouses of processed foods in Guatemala

The health license is the authorization issued by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala, through which it is accredited that a certain business, activity or industry meets the basic health requirements for its operation. The authorization of processed food factories and warehouses has its own regulation, established in the Central American […]

New regulation seeks the protection of hydrographic basins in Guatemala

On February 3, 2021, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources published Government Agreement No. 19-2021, which contains provisions to promote the protection and conservation of hydrographic basins in Guatemala, which enters into force on February 4, 2021. With this regulation, the preparation of the study of basins by the ministerial authorities is resumed, detailing […]

The rules that will govern the prohibition of the Stereophone in Costa Rica are issued

This week the Regulations to the Law that prohibits expanded polystyrene (stereophone) were published, which lists the exceptions through which products containing said material may be marketed, as follows: Expanded polystyrene products expressly excluded from the ban: Packaging for household appliances and the like. industrial uses. The regulation does not specify what should be understood as such. Uses […]

Trend towards occupational health compliance

A large part of the health regulations issued in 2020 are focused on the protection of employees during their working hours. Therefore, one of the aspects that became more relevant at the beginning of this decade is the growing attention to compliance with health and safety regulations in the company. Since the beginning of 2020, authorities […]

Environmental compliance A duty and an opportunity

The environmental side of a compliance system : Environmental protection and sustainable practices are now an essential standard that every company must have, being responsible with the environment has become yet another business product for companies, which generates tangible benefits such as increased sales, revaluation of the mark and reduction of sanctions. Companies that apply policies, […]