Page 344 - 7. State Of Environment Report Of Türkiye

environmental officers contribute to the protection of the environment by ensuring that ins-
titutions, organizations and businesses that will cause environmental pollution or harm the
environment as a result of their activities take the necessary precautions to prevent environ-
mental pollution.

The legal framework of the issue was determined by the amendment made to the Environ-
mental Law No. 2872 with the Law No. 5491 in 2006, and with the Additional Article 2 of the
Law, institutions, organizations and businesses that will cause environmental pollution or
harm the environment as a result of their activities are obliged to establish an environmental
management unit, employ environmental officers or purchase services from authorized insti-
tutions and organizations.

On the other hand, according to Article 4 of the Law on Amendments to the Environmen-
tal Law and Certain Laws, published in the Official Gazette dated 15/6/2022 and numbered
31867, the definition of “Environmental management unit/Environmental officer” in the first
paragraph of Article 2 of the Environmental Law dated 9/8/1983 and numbered 2872 has been
changed to “Environmental management service”, and with this change, the expression “envi-
ronmental officer” has been abolished. With the new definition, environmental management
service and those who will provide this service have been explained.

“Environmental management service (Amended definition: 10/6/2022-7410/4 art.): This refers to
the service provided by environmental engineers, environmental management units, environmen-
tal consultancy firms or persons determined by the Ministry with the relevant By-law, in which the
compliance of facilities and businesses with the legislation is evaluated in accordance with this Law
and the By-laws put into effect according to the Law and whether the measures taken are effectively
implemented

(Additional definition: 10/6/2022-7410/4 art.) Environmental management unit: It refers to the unit
established within the facility or enterprise to provide environmental management services.

(Additional definition: 10/6/2022-7410/4 art.) Environmental consultancy firm: It refers to the legal
entity authorized by the Ministry to provide environmental management services.”

The new “By-law on Environmental Management Services”, which was prepared with the aim
of reflecting the changes made in the Law to the By-law, carrying out the works and transac-
tions more effectively in order to protect the environment and prevent environmental pollu-
tion, eliminating the problems experienced in the current practice and completing the defi-
ciencies, and increasing the quality of environmental management services, was published in
the Official Gazette dated 1/11 /2022 and numbered 32000 and entered into force.

Within the scope of the By-law, the definition of “environmental officer” has been abolished,
but individuals who have an “Environmental Management Service Competency Certificate”
before the By-law are referred to as “environmental engineers” if they are environmental en-
gineering graduates, and as “authorized persons” if they are engineering or science faculty
graduates other than environmental engineering departments.

Within the scope of the said By-law, the works and procedures related to the certification,
suspension and cancellation of certificates and auditing of environmental engineers/autho-
rized persons, environmental management units and environmental consultancy firms are
carried out electronically by MoEUCC through the “E-Competency Application”, which is a su-
b-application of the “Integrated Environmental Information System”.

The number of active Environmental Engineers/Authorized Persons, Environmental Manage-
ment Units and Environmental Consultancy Companies certified as of 2023 are given in Table
109.

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