Procedures for issuance/re-issuance of the Certificate for eco-industrial zone in Vietnam

Procedures for issuance/re-issuance of the Certificate for eco-industrial zone in Vietnam​ (Image from the internet)

On February 24, 2025, the Ministry of Planning and Investment issued Decision 626/QD-BKHDT regarding the announcement of new administrative procedures in the field of industrial zones and economic zones under the management of the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Procedures for issuance/re-issuance of the Certificate for eco-industrial zone in Vietnam

* Implementation sequence:

- Step 1: The investor submits 06 sets of documents registering for the issuance of the Certificate for eco-industrial zone to the management board of the industrial and economic zone (hereinafter referred to as the Management Board).

- Step 2: Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the complete documentation, the management board of the industrial and economic zone sends the documents for opinions from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Ministry of Construction.

- Step 3: Within 15 days from the date of receiving the complete documentation, the solicited agency provides opinions on compliance with the criteria for determining an eco-industrial park according to the provisions of Article 37 of Decree 35/2022/ND-CP of the Government of Vietnam.

- Step 4: Within 40 days from the date of receiving the complete documentation, the management board of the industrial and economic zone organizes the evaluation of the documents and compiles an evaluation report on compliance with criteria for identifying an eco-industrial park according to the provisions of Article 37 of Decree 35/2022/ND-CP of the Government of Vietnam.

- Step 5: In the case where the evaluation results meet the requirements, the management board of the industrial and economic zone reports to the provincial People's Committee to issue the Certificate for eco-industrial zone to investors implementing the investment and business infrastructure project for the industrial zone.

* Components of the dossier:

- Document registering for the Certificate for eco-industrial zone;

- Report on the operational status and investment attraction of the industrial zone;

- Evaluation and explanation of the ability to meet the criteria for identifying an eco-industrial park according to the provisions of Article 37 of Decree 35/2022/ND-CP of the Government of Vietnam (accompanied by related documents);

- Other related documents concerning the industrial zone:

+ Report monitoring and supervising eco-industrial park implementation

+ Indices evaluating the economic, social, and environmental effectiveness of the eco-industrial park.

* Requirements and conditions for implementing the procedure for granting the Certificate for eco-industrial zone

- The investor implementing the project for the construction and business of industrial park infrastructure must meet the following criteria:

+ Comply with legal regulations on investment, business, construction, land, environmental protection, and labor within 03 years before the time of registering for the Certificate for eco-industrial zone;

+ Ensure the provision of basic services in the industrial zone in accordance with legal regulations, including essential infrastructure services (electricity, water, information, fire prevention, sewage treatment, other essential infrastructure services), supporting enterprises in the industrial zone to implement industrial symbiosis;

+ Establish and implement a coordinated mechanism to monitor inputs and outputs regarding the use of materials, water, energy, chemicals, waste, and scraps in the industrial zone; prepare annual reports on results achieved in efficient resource usage, cleaner production, and emissions monitoring of the industrial zone, reporting to the management board of the industrial and economic zone;

+ Annually, publish reports on environmental protection efforts, social responsibilities to surrounding communities sent to the management board of the industrial and economic zone and post on the enterprise's website.

- Enterprises in the industrial zone must meet the following criteria:

+ Comply with legal regulations on investment, business, construction, land, environmental, and labor protection within 03 years before the time of registering for the Certificate for eco-industrial zone;

+ Implement at least 01 industrial symbiosis and enterprises participating in industrial symbiosis in the industrial zone must apply production and environmental management systems according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards;

+ At least 20% of enterprises in the industrial zone apply solutions for efficient resource usage, cleaner production achieving results in saving materials, water, energy, chemicals, waste, and scraps and reducing emissions to the environment.

- The industrial zone must meet the following criteria:

+ The minimum ratio of total land area for green space, transportation, technical zones, and shared social infrastructure in the industrial zone must reach 25% as per the construction planning approved by competent state agencies according to the national technical regulations on construction planning;

+ Have solutions ensuring accommodation, service facilities, public utilities for workers in the industrial zone.

Details can be found in Decision 626/QD-BKHDT, effective from March 15, 2025.

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