en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Peruvian government, through Supreme Decree No. 014-2026-EM, has amended the Environmental Protection Regulations for Mining Exploration Activities. The core change is raising the maximum number of mining exploration platforms that can be processed via an Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) from 40 to 60, while the evaluation period for this document remains at 30 working days.

Under the previous regulations, exploration projects with more than 40 platforms were required to submit a semi-detailed environmental impact study, with a review period of up to 90 working days. This amendment aims to streamline the environmental assessment process, improve approval efficiency and predictability, while maintaining existing environmental protection standards.

The new decree also specifies the processing timelines for both the administrative authority and the administrative counterpart in the procedure, to avoid duplicate opinions from different evaluation agencies. Additionally, the decree establishes a technical assistance mechanism, enabling the administrative counterpart to promptly resolve differences in opinions during the approval process. Even if a report from a particular opinion-issuing agency is delayed, the evaluation agency can still notify the administrative counterpart of the opinion. Under the previous procedure, such situations would lead to a suspension of the approval process.

Minister of Energy and Mines Waldir Ayasta Mechán stated that the decree does not make concessions on the environmental front, with protection standards remaining unchanged. What has been done is to regulate and simplify procedures so that the country can obtain more exploration projects, investment, and job opportunities.

Supreme Decree No. 014-2026-EM has been endorsed by the Minister of Energy and Mines and the Minister of the Environment, and has been signed by the President of the Republic. Through this measure, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem) aims to promote a portfolio of mining exploration projects, encourage private capital to enter the sector, and provide greater legal certainty for the administrative counterpart.