MAURITIUS Law and Practice Contributed by: Gilles Athaw, Jason Barbe, Deeviya Rughooputh and Sushika Ramlugun, Bowmans
it with a modern legislative framework with a view to ensuring better protection, management and conser- vation of the environment. The Environment Act 2024 has established the National Environment and Sus- tainable Development Commission in view of, inter alia, setting national objectives for environmental protection, management and conservation, and tar- gets regarding circular economy, green economy, and sustainable consumption and production. Additionally, an Observatoire de L’Environnement has been established as an interface with stakeholders, including the public, on environmental protection and policy evaluation. A mechanism has also been put in place to enhance the management and protec- tion of Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs), with improved co-ordination among institutions and the creation of an ESA inventory and maps. The Envi- ronment Act 2024 also ensures transparency in the Preliminary Environmental Report (PER) and Envi- ronmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and introduces the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) framework to integrate environmental consider- ations into early planning stages. This ensures a holis- tic evaluation of cumulative impacts, accounting for socio-economic factors to protect and conserve the environment. A completion certificate will be required before operations begin, confirming projects comply with their PER, EIA or SEA approvals. Additionally, a National Oil Spill Co-Ordination Committee has been established, as a response to the Wakashio disaster which occurred in 2020, to ensure a prompt and co- ordinated response to oil spills.
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