Con fecha 24 de noviembre de 2025, el Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental (SEA) anunció la implementación de una nueva medida, la emisión automática de Certificados de Permisos Ambientales Sectoriales (“PAS”) en proyectos ingresados al Sistema de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental (“SEIA”), que cuenten con una Resolución de Calificación Ambiental (“RCA”) favorable.

This new document will be incorporated directly into each project’s electronic file and is intended to certify—quickly and in a standardized manner—that the environmental requirements associated with the PAS were duly evaluated and verified during the environmental impact assessment process. This avoids duplicity of criteria among other agencies involved in the matter and facilitates sectoral permitting procedures.

This initiative is part of the SEA’s Technological Modernization Plan and the implementation of the new Framework Law on Sectoral Permits, which aims to reduce project processing times, unify criteria, and provide greater legal certainty.

Indeed, this represents progress in strengthening coordination between the SEA and the State Administration Bodies with Environmental Competence (OAECA), allowing these authorities to accept compliance with environmental and technical requirements without re-evaluating criteria that have already been reviewed.

Entry into Force and Practical Application

This new system is already in operation and was launched with the issuance of favorable RCAs for three projects:(i) modernization of the Hernán Videla Lira Smelter; (ii) the carbon-neutral fuels plant Cabo Negro in Magallanes; and (iii) the Kimal – Lo Aguirre electric transmission line.

Thus, the PAS Certificates—already communicated via official notice to all OAECA—will be issued to certify that all requirements have been verified as part of the environmental assessment process. It should be noted that each PAS Certificate will share the same validity period as the RCA.

Accordingly, PAS Certificates will distinguish between two categories:

1. a. Exclusively Environmental PAS, corresponding to permits whose conditions and requirements were fully demonstrated during the SEIA evaluation. In these cases, the OAECA must issue the permit mandatorily, without additional procedures or any application by the project owner—that is, “without further processing”.

1. b. Mixed PAS, for which the Certificate will attest that the environmental components of the permit were evaluated and verified by the SEA. Consequently, the OAECA may not deny the permit on environmental grounds or impose new environmental conditions; their review must be limited exclusively to sector-specific aspects.

If you require additional information on this matter, you may contact: Javier Naranjo (jnaranjo@jdf.cl); Andrea Gallyas (agallyas@jdf.cl);Martín Esser (messer@jdf.cl);María Paz Valenzuela (mpvalenzuela@jdf.cl); and Javiera Rodríguez (jrodriguez@jdf.cl).