Background
Ministerial prakas in Cambodia set technical and procedural rules that implement national environmental assessment requirements and guide administrative oversight of project approvals.
On 28 July 2026, technical directors from the Ministry of Environment met with the General Department of Petroleum under the Ministry of Mines and Energy to review two draft ministerial prakas covering environmental impact assessment procedures. One draft prakas addresses the classification of development and investment projects for environmental impact assessment; the other draft prakas proposes a fee schedule for consultant firms conducting EIA studies and preparing EIA reports.
Scope of Application
The two draft prakas are scoped to apply to development and investment projects that may trigger environmental impact assessment requirements and to consultant firms contracted to conduct EIA studies and prepare EIA reports. The meeting specifically solicited technical inputs from petroleum-sector authorities to ensure the proposed measures reflect sector-specific project types and assessment needs.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The drafts under review contain two core elements: (1) criteria and procedures for classifying investment and development projects according to their requirement for environmental impact assessment; and (2) a formal schedule of professional fees for consultant firms engaged to perform EIA studies and compile EIA reports. The Ministry of Environment solicited comments from the General Department of Petroleum to align classification thresholds and fee benchmarks with petroleum-sector project realities.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
If promulgated, the prakas would provide a consistent administrative basis for determining whether projects require an EIA and for budgeting consultancy costs tied to EIA preparation. Standardized classification criteria could reduce uncertainty in project screening, while an official fee schedule would inform procurement and compliance planning for developers and consulting firms operating in regulated sectors, including petroleum.
Official Source
Meeting announcement: Ministry of Environment Facebook post, 28 July 2026. Source: https://www.facebook.com/MinistryOfEnvironmentCambodia/posts/pfbid0YL5mwupnxMW1aryJuuvDtyGFXvibDAi13hizQa6dY1euqAc6WMRpvfk3r3ah2biSl
