Environmental planning & licensing
Verdé provides EPA licence application and environmental compliance advice in Ireland, including IPC, Industrial Emissions and waste licensing. The right authorisation depends on your activity, scale and site—not simply your business sector.
Last updated 12 October 2026 · Named reviewer not yet confirmed.
Choose the licence route by the activity and its thresholds. IPC, Industrial Emissions and waste licences address different regulatory requirements; a sector label alone is not enough to decide.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Source: EPA: Industrial Emissions Directive FAQs · checked 12 October 2026.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Waste authorisation is not always an EPA licence: EPA guidance lists four possible outcomes—exemption, licence, waste facility permit or registration. Check the applicable route before starting a new activity.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
This service is for businesses planning a new activity, changing a site or managing existing environmental obligations in Ireland. It is not a replacement for an EPA decision, planning permission or emergency spill assistance.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Start by confirming the route, then prepare the site evidence and follow the application requirements. The regulator assesses the submission; Verdé’s role is advisory, not approval-granting.
Stage 1
Describe the process, materials, capacity, emissions and location. Compare the activity with the relevant legislation and EPA guidance before starting an application.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Stage 2
Identify the planning documentation, site information, emissions assessments, BAT assessment and environmental reports needed for your specific application. Use EPA pre-application clarification where appropriate.
Source: EPA: IE licence application guidance · checked 12 October 2026.
Stage 3
Follow the applicable notice and notification requirements, complete the specified form, provide supporting documents and pay the relevant EPA fee. IPC applications use EDEN, the EPA’s online system.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Stage 4
Respond to requests for further information. If a licence is granted, follow its conditions and the monitoring and reporting requirements that apply to the site. Approval and timing are not guaranteed.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
For IPC applications, EPA guidance identifies five preparation actions: check the licence requirement, register on EDEN, erect a site notice, publish a newspaper notice and notify the planning authority. These are not the whole application checklist.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Verdé’s existing environmental planning and licensing service covers assessments, licence and permit support, monitoring and compliance reporting. Agree the scope for your site before commissioning work; not every assessment below is required for every application.
The portfolio is not presented as proof of a specific licence approval.
Source: EPA: IE licence application guidance · checked 12 October 2026.
An EPA licence depends on the activity and legal requirements. These answers explain the main distinctions and application steps; use the linked EPA guidance for your site’s requirements.
An EPA licence is an environmental authorisation issued by Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency for a specified activity. Its conditions control emissions and environmental management. Depending on the activity, the relevant regime may be Industrial Emissions, Integrated Pollution Control or waste licensing; there is no single licence suitable for every business.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
Operators of specified industrial or waste activities may need an EPA licence when their activity falls within the relevant legislation and thresholds. Check the actual process and capacity, not only the sector name. Some waste activities instead require a local-authority permit or registration, while others may qualify for an exemption.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
IPC means Integrated Pollution Control. An IPC licence controls pollution from certain industrial activities in Ireland under the EPA Act and associated licensing regulations. Check the First Schedule to the EPA Act to establish whether your activity is licensable and confirm whether the IPC or Industrial Emissions route applies.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
The EPA Act 1992, as amended, provides the activity schedule used in industrial licensing. The EPA’s IPC application guidance cites the Integrated Pollution Control Licensing Regulations 2013 (S.I. 283/2013), amended by S.I. 189/2020. Industrial Emissions has a separate regime implementing the Industrial Emissions Directive; use current EPA guidance and the legislation applicable to your activity rather than treating IPC and IE rules as identical.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
IPPC means Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control and is a term you may see in older licence records. The Industrial Emissions Directive replaced the earlier IPPC Directive. Current EPA guidance distinguishes IPC and Industrial Emissions licensing; an old IPPC reference alone does not establish the authorisation your site needs today.
Source: EPA: Industrial Emissions Directive FAQs · checked 12 October 2026.
First check whether you need a licence and arrange pre-application clarification where appropriate. The EPA’s guidance then requires EDEN registration, a site notice, a newspaper notice and notification of the relevant planning authority. Complete the specified application form and supply the required documentation. Missing information may lead to further requests or delay the assessment.
Source: EPA: How to apply for an IPC licence · checked 12 October 2026.
No. Planning documentation is part of the information considered in licensing applications, but planning permission is not a substitute for the environmental authorisation required for a licensable activity. Coordinate the two processes and confirm the requirements for your project before operating.
Source: EPA: IE licence application guidance · checked 12 October 2026.
No. The EPA describes four possible authorisation outcomes for waste recovery or disposal: exemption, a licence, a waste facility permit, or a certificate of registration. The correct route depends on the activity and applicable rules; the EPA and local authorities have different responsibilities.
Source: EPA: Who needs a waste licence · checked 12 October 2026.
There is no single fee or completion time suitable for every application. EPA guidance links to the applicable industrial and waste licensing fee schedules. Consultancy costs are separate and depend on the work required; missing documents, further-information requests and the site’s circumstances can affect progress. Ask Verdé to scope the work and consult the current EPA fee guidance—no fixed fee, deadline or approval is promised here.
Source: EPA: IE licence application guidance · checked 12 October 2026.
Use the full term when discussing an application. Similar abbreviations can refer to different regulatory regimes.
Source: EPA: Industrial Emissions Directive FAQs · checked 12 October 2026.
Source: EPA: IE licence application guidance · checked 12 October 2026.
EPA guidance is the regulatory source for this overview. These pages were checked on 12 October 2026; the check date is not their publication date. Confirm current requirements with the EPA before relying on a specific application route.
Verdé’s service scope is based on its existing environmental planning and licensing page. No named reviewer, licence success rate, consultancy price or decision deadline has been invented.
Read this guide in MarkdownTell Verdé your site location, activity, capacity, existing licence number if available, and the change or application you are considering. The team can discuss the scope and evidence needed; the EPA confirms regulatory decisions.
For general enquiries, call 01 201 1260 or email info@verde.ie.
