The Control and Inspection Unit (Unité contrôles et inspections) of the Environment Agency (Administration de l’environnement) is responsible for the management and handling of complaints in the areas for which the Environment Agency is responsible, such as:

• noise control;
• the prevention of air pollution;
• waste management;
• classified establishments;
• the marketing and/or use of chemical substances and mixtures;
• biocidal products.

Who is concerned

Any person, whether physical or moral, who experiences a nuisance or inconvenience:

• arising from an activity carried out by a third party, or an establishment operated by a third party;
• within the scope of one or more of the areas which the Environment Agency is empowered to control.

Prerequisites

The complaint must relate to one of the following:

• olfactory nuisances;
• nuisances due to the discharge of gaseous effluents (fumes) into the atmosphere;
• soil pollution;
• nuisances due to vibrations;
• spills or runoff of substances/liquids;
• noise;
• illegal waste management;
• illegal marketing and/or use of chemical substances and mixtures, and/or biocides;
• other.

How to proceed

Submission of the complaint

Identification of the complainant

Complainants must identify themselves by indicating, inter alia:

• their title;
• their name and surname or, where applicable, the name of their company;
• their address;
• their phone number (landline and/or mobile);
• their email address (if applicable).

Identification of the establishment/person charged

The complainant must also identify the establishment or person who are the subject of complaint and indicate, in particular:

• their name and surname or, where applicable, the name of the company;
• their address;
• their location (urban area, industrial zone, activity zone, green
  zone, etc.);
• a topographic map indicating the site to which the complaint refers to (to be joined insofar possible);
• the GPS/LUREF coordinates of the site (to be provided if possible).

Complaint details

The complainant then indicates the nature of the complaint and details:

• its subject (odours, air or soil pollution, vibration, spillage or flow of liquid substances, etc.);
• the origin of the complaint (building, specific installation, etc.);
• the inconvenience caused (type of odour, noise, waste, etc.);
• the frequency of nuisances (permanent or one-off), the start date, the time(s) of the year or the day, etc.

Complainants can send their complaint to the AEV by post, e-mail or deliver it in person.

Details of other stakeholders contacted prior to the complaint

Complainants then need to indicate any prior initiatives taken, such as:

• whether or not they have contacted the company or the person concerned by the complaint;
• whether or not they have contacted another competent authority or other authorities, including details of the contact.

Conclusion

Complainants need to specify whether they wish to be informed of the results of the investigations and the measures taken by the administration.

Submission of disputes

Once the complaint has been received, the Environmental Agency (AEV) sends an acknowledgment of receipt with the number under which the complaint has been registered to the complainant by post or email.

After reviewing the complaint, the AEV:

• checks up on the offending establishment and continues its investigation;
• if necessary, the administrative complaint is forwarded to the competent authority.

If the claimant has expressed a wish to be informed of the results of the investigations and the measures taken by the administration, the administration will inform them by post or email.

Penalties for slanderous or defamatory accusations and denunciations

A penalty of imprisonment of 15 days to 6 months and a fine of EUR 251 to 10,000 will be applied to whoever:

• produces, in writing, a libellous or defamatory statement to the authorities;
• addresses, in writing, to a person any libellous or defamatory accusations against a subordinate of said person.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact