The Regional Environment Inspectorate, hereinafter referred as IRA, was created by Regional Regulatory Decree No. 13/2007/A, of May 16, and was incorporated in February 2008. Since that date, the Regional Environment Inspectorate has undergone some changes in its organic structure, as well as in the competences assigned.
Currently the IRA is a service of the Regional Secretariat for Environment and Climate Change (SRAAC), as provided for by Regional Regulatory Decree No. 28/2020/A, of December 10, which approves the organic of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores. IRA is governed by SRAAC organic, published by Regional Regulatory Decree No. 17/2021/A, of July 8, which defines it as a service endowed with administrative autonomy.
IRA's mission is to ensure legal compliance in the areas of environmental quality, waste management, nature and biodiversity conservation, water resources, spatial planning and urbanism.
IRA is responsible for:
a) Ensuring inspection actions aimed at verifying compliance with legal and regulatory standards regarding environmental impact, waste, nature conservation, spatial planning and urban planning, as well as water resources, in establishments, spaces, places or activities subject to them;
b) Exercising the functions of an inspection authority for radiological protection and indoor air quality surveillance in buildings in accordance with the applicable legislation in force;
c) Issuing technical opinions and recommendations to those responsible for establishments, places or activities with an impact on the areas of competence assigned;
d) Notifying those responsible, in the context of inspection actions carried out and other functions performed, so that, within a certain period, they take measures to prevent, correct or eliminate situations of serious danger to the health, safety of persons and goods and the environment, as well as other measures aimed at complying with legislation in the areas of competence assigned;
e) Establishing, instructing and deciding environmental infringement proceedings in relation to offences known to them, in accordance with the legislation on environmental offences, as well as in other cases provided for by law, in the areas of competence allocated;
f) Proposing or ordering the embargo and demolition of works, as well as to terminate other actions carried out, in violation of legal norms with an impact on the areas of their competence;
g) Developing the diagnosis of situations of environmental vulnerability and proposing preventive measures to address them;
h) Giving opinion on draft legal and regulatory legislation with an impact on the areas of its mission, as well as to develop studies of a legal nature aimed at the coherence and rationality of the various diplomas in the areas within its competence;
i) Ensuring the performance of other tasks that, within the scope of its area of competence, are distributed to it or committed to its responsibility.
Constitutive Documents:
Regional Regulatory Decree No. 17/2021/A, of July 8
Approves the organic and management staff of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change