Vietnam

Legal Framework
Country: 
Viet Nam
EIA Law: 
Law on Environmental Protection (2020)
Law Link: 
Link
EIA Regulations: 
Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP (2022)
Regulations Link: 
Link
EIA Guidelines or Other Guidance: 
Circular 02/2022/TT-BTNMT (2022)
Guidance Link: 
Link
EIA Procedure
Projects Requiring EIA: 
Government projects
Private Projects
Abridged Assessments: 
No
Best Practices in Lieu of EIA: 
No
Who Conducts Screening: 
Government
Who Conducts Screening Detail: 
Investment projects are classified into one of four groups based on the risk of adverse environmental impacts. LOEP Art. 28(2)
Criteria for Screening: 
List or appendix of project or activity types
Proposed project or activity may cause significant environmental impact
Possible impact to, or adjacent to, a protected area
Criteria for Screening Detail: 
LOEP Art. 28; see also Decree No. 8/2022, Art. 25.
Who Prepares EIA: 
Project Proponent (with or without contractor)
Who Prepares EIA Detail: 
"The EIA shall be conducted by the investment project owner or a qualified consultancy." LOEP Art. 31
Who Pays for EIA: 
Project Proponent
Who Pays for EIA Detail: 
"The EIA shall be conducted by the investment project owner or a qualified consultancy." LOEP Art. 31
EIA Contractor Qualifications: 
No
Conflict of Interest: 
Yes
Conflict of Interest Detail: 
"Experts participating in conducting EIA of the investment project are not allowed to join the council appraising the EIAR of such project" LOEP Art. 34(3)c
Terms of Reference: 
No
Days for Decision Maker Review: 
30-45 days (depending on investment project type) + 20 days (if there are revisions)
Automatic Approval: 
No
Written Decision: 
Yes
Written Decision Detail: 
The EIAR appraising authority will "[p]ublish decisions on approval of EIAR appraisal results on its web portal" LOEP Art. 38(2). "[I]n case of refusal to grant approval, [the authority must] respond to the investment project owner and provide explanation in writing." LOEP Art. 34(9).
Authority to Impose Conditions: 
Yes
Authority to Impose Conditions Details: 
The project owner must "[r]evise contents of the investment project and EIAR in conformity with environmental protection contents and requirements set out in the decision on approval of EIAR appraisal result." LOEP Art. 37(1). This provision suggests that authorities are permitted to include conditions when they approve a project.
Expiry of Decision: 
7-10 years
Expiry of Decision Detail: 
An environmental license is valid for 7 years for group I investment projects, and 10 years for projects other than group I. LOEP Art. 40(4). If the project undergoes substantial changes during implementation, the project developer may be required to prepare a new EIA. See LOEP, Art. 37; Decree No. 8/2022, Art. 27(2).
Financial Assurances or Bond: 
No
EIA Content
Interdisciplinary Team: 
No
Range of Alternatives: 
No
No Action Alternative: 
No
Type(s) of Impact Analysis: 
Direct environmental impacts
Social impacts
Cultural impacts
Economic impacts
Mitigation: 
Yes
Mitigation Detail: 
The EIA report must include "[m]ethods for reducing other adverse environmental impacts of the investment project; environmental improvement and remediation scheme (if any); biodiversity offsets scheme (if any); environmental emergency prevention and response plan;" LOEP Art. 32(g)
Monitoring Plans: 
Yes
Monitoring Plans Detail: 
The EIA report must include an "environmental management and supervision program" LOEP Art. 32(h)
Access to Information
Public Notice of Draft EIA: 
No
Draft EIA Available: 
No
Draft EIA Locations: 
Not available
Public Notice of Final EIA: 
Yes
Public Notice of Final EIA Detail: 
"The project owner shall preside over and cooperate with the People’s Committee of the commune where the project is executed in posting the EIAR at the communal People’s Committee and notifying time and place of the meeting intended to seek opinions of the consultees specified in point a clause 1 of this Article at least 05 days before the meeting." Decree No. 08/2022 Art. 26(3)(b)
Final EIA Available: 
Yes
Final EIA Available Detail: 
"The project owner shall preside over and cooperate with the People’s Committee of the commune where the project is executed in posting the EIAR at the communal People’s Committee and notifying time and place of the meeting intended to seek opinions of the consultees specified in point a clause 1 of this Article at least 05 days before the meeting." Decree No. 08/2022 Art. 26(3)(b)
Final EIA Locations: 
Internet
Local government office
Fee to View EIA Documents: 
No
Availability of Reference Studies: 
No
Availability of Reference Studies Detail: 
There are no provisions in the EIA laws concerning public access to background studies or information associated with the EIA. This information may be accessible, however, through the Access to Information law.
Public Notice of Final Decision: 
Yes
Public Notice of Final Decision Detail: 
The EIAR appraising authority must "[p]ublish decisions on approval of EIAR appraisal results on its web portal, except for the information classified as state secrets or enterprise’s secrets as prescribed by law[.]" LOEP Art. 38(2)
Public Participation
Public Scoping: 
No
Public Review of TOR: 
No
Public Participation Opportunities: 
Public Meetings and/or public hearings
Public Meetings: 
Yes
Public Meetings Detail:: 
"The investment project owner shall hold a consultation with consultees [identified in the law.]" The consultation is only required to occur with individuals and residential communities "under direct impact of the investment project." LOEP Art. 33. Investment projects on the list of state secrets are exempt from consultation. LOEP Art. 33(7). See also Decree No. 8/2022, Art. 26.
Public Input at Meeting: 
Yes
Public Input at Meeting Detail: 
LOEP Art. 33(4)a
Criteria to Hold Public Meeting: 
Public meeting and/or hearing is automatically required
Days for Public to Review Final EIA: 
Not specified
Public Comments on Draft EIA: 
No
Public Comments on Final EIA: 
No
Public Comments on Final EIA Detail: 
Consultation occurs during preparation of the EIA and it does not appear from the EIA law or decrees that the public has an opportunity to review or comment on the final EIA.
Response to Public Comments: 
No
Facilitation of Public Participation: 
No
Judicial Review/Enforcement
Citizen Administrative Review: 
Yes
Citizen Administrative Review Detail: 
Review may be available through Law No. 93/2015/QH13 on Administrative Procedures
Citizen Judicial Review: 
Yes
Citizen Judicial Review Detail: 
Review may be available through the Ordinance on the Procedures for Settlement of Administrative Cases (available at https://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/vn/vn055en.pdf), amended by No. 29/2006/PL-UBTVQH11 (available at: https://wipolex-res.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/vn/vn056en.html)
Project Monitoring: 
Yes
Project Monitoring Detail: 
After receiving approval of the EIA, the project developer must then acquire an environmental license. The environmental license requires monitoring and reporting. LOEP Art. 48(3)
Enforceability of EIA: 
No
Enforceability of Permit: 
No
Enforceability of Permit Detail: 
Modified: August 9th, 2023