ES · Expiry & renewal tracking
Keep your site's air emissions permit from lapsing
The Spanish regional air emissions permit for group A and B activities in the CAPCA-2010 catalogue is granted for a fixed period that may never exceed eight years and is renewable for successive periods (Article 13.2 of Law 34/2007). Group C activities are only notified to the autonomous community.
Activities that may pollute the atmosphere are those in the catalogue in Annex IV of the Spanish Air Quality and Atmosphere Protection Act (Law 34/2007, catalogue CAPCA-2010). Building, assembling, operating, relocating or substantially modifying installations with group A or B activities requires an administrative permit from the autonomous community, on the terms it sets; group A is subject to stricter emission control requirements than group B. Group C activities are notified to the regional authority (Article 13.1 to 13.3).
These permits are granted for a fixed period that may never exceed eight years, after which they can be renewed for successive periods (Article 13.2). The permit contains at least the emission limit values, the control systems and procedures with the measurement method and frequency, the measures for operating conditions other than normal, and the period for which it is granted (Article 13.4). The authority decides within nine months at most; if no express decision is notified in that time, the application may be treated as refused (Article 13.2).
Installations covered by Law 16/2002 on integrated pollution prevention and control do not follow Articles 13 and 14: they are subject to the integrated environmental permit (second additional provision). The autonomous communities decide when a modification is substantial, considering size and output, energy use, pollution produced and local air quality (Article 14), and set the terms and deadlines for existing installations to adapt (sole transitional provision).
At a glance
| Who needs a permit | Installations with group A and B activities in Annex IV (Article 13.2) |
|---|---|
| Group C | Notification to the autonomous community (Article 13.3) |
| Duration | A fixed period, never more than eight years (Article 13.2) |
| Renewal | For successive periods (Article 13.2) |
| Decision deadline | Nine months; without a decision it may be treated as refused (Article 13.2) |
| IPPC installations | Integrated environmental permit instead (second additional provision) |
Who is responsible?
The permit is granted by the autonomous community where the installation is located, on the terms it sets (Article 13.2); the actual period of validity is stated in the permit itself (Article 13.4.e).
If the deadline passes
Breaching the permit and notification regime of Article 13 is a serious offence, and a very serious one if it has caused, or failed to prevent, pollution that seriously endangered people's safety or health or seriously damaged the environment (Article 30.2.a and 30.3.a).
Your autonomous community sets the renewal date
Law 34/2007 sets the eight-year maximum but does not say how far in advance renewal must be requested or which documents to submit: the permit is handled on the terms each autonomous community sets (Article 13.2). As a decision can take up to nine months, it is worth checking the regional rules early.
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add an entry for each permit and set the due date to the end of the period stated in the decision.
- Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before and on the day itself.
- For the renewal application deadline set by your autonomous community, add a second entry with that date, so you get reminders in time to prepare the application.
- The environmental technician can upload the new permit through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
- Assign a responsible person, such as the environmental manager; emails arrive in each recipient's language. If a date passes, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
Frequently asked questions
- How long is an air emissions permit valid?
- For the period set in the permit, which may never exceed eight years (Article 13.2 of Law 34/2007).
- Can it be renewed?
- Yes, after the period it can be renewed for successive periods (Article 13.2). Each autonomous community sets the procedure.
- Which activities need a permit?
- Those in groups A and B of the catalogue in Annex IV (CAPCA-2010). Group C activities are only notified (Article 13.2 and 13.3).
- What if my installation has an integrated environmental permit?
- Installations covered by Law 16/2002 are outside Articles 13 and 14 and are governed by the integrated environmental permit (second additional provision).
Sources
Last checked: Oct 1, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
Made for air-emissions permit (APCA) (Spain)
A ready template for air-emissions permit (APCA) (Spain) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.
Reminders on time
Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each air-emissions permit (APCA) (Spain) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
Assign an owner
Give each air-emissions permit (APCA) (Spain) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.