Environmental law refers to the rules of importance to the external environment, such as outdoor air, surface and ground water, natural resources, etc. Environmental legislation is primarily grouped in the Swedish Environmental Code, the goal of which is to promote sustainable development for existing and future generations. The Swedish Environmental Code includes rules governing such areas as environmentally hazardous operations, water-related operations, contaminated land, and waste. The Planning and Building Act and the Forest Conservation Act also address environmental issues and EU legislation on environmental issues also has a substantial impact on the legal situation in Sweden.
Water law takes into account both environmental issues and title to land, as well as any compensation issues that may arise. There are numerous regulations governing how water may be used, including for the owner of the property where the water is located. Water-related operations often require permits and various different principles, such as the precautionary principle and housekeeping principle, must be taken into account. It is also necessary to ensure that permits are not hindered by existing detailed development plans or area provisions.
Landahl is often engaged as an advisor on environmental law issues, e.g. in connection with responsibility for contaminated land and reclamation measures. We have extensive experience of strategic considerations ahead of planned measures. The consequences of certain operations must, in certain cases, be considered and analysed, and a balance may need to be struck, when assessing whether a measure will be approved from an environmental viewpoint. We have wide-ranging expertise with regard to the measures that need to be taken and the sort of timeframes that may be involved.
We also have expertise in the area of water law and can provide advice on issues such as permit applications, reporting and re-examination issues, and in supervisory matters. Landahl often represents parties in water law-related issues. We can investigate opportunities and preconditions for the desired water-related activities and have extensive experience of providing legal representation in conjunction both with permit application reviews in courts and with notification of and applications for water-related activities.