The BES Establishments and Activities Decree (IAB BES) contains environmental regulations for businesses on Bonaire. These regulations specify what businesses must do to prevent damage to the environment.
What does this product or service mean?
Do you have a business on Bonaire? If so, you must comply with the environmental regulations set forth in the IAB BES. These regulations are in place to protect Bonaire’s nature and environment.
The IAB BES contains environmental regulations for businesses in the Caribbean Netherlands. In the IAB BES, businesses are referred to as “facilities.”
The purpose of these regulations is to better protect nature and the environment on Bonaire.
Businesses must organize their operations regarding the disposal of waste, the discharge of wastewater, and other environmentally harmful activities in such a way that no damage is caused to the environment. You must prevent damage to the environment or limit it as much as possible. This is known as the duty of care.
Businesses are divided into four types:
Type 1:
General regulations apply to these businesses; no notification is required.
Type 2:
General rules apply to these businesses; notification is required.
Type 3:
A permit is required from the Public Entity of Bonaire; the permit specifies the requirements that must be met.
Type 4:
A permit is required from the Kingdom; the permit specifies the requirements that must be met.
The type your business falls under depends on its activities and its impact on the environment.
Types 1 and 2 are businesses with little impact on the environment, such as an office, restaurant, or auto repair shop.
Types 3 and 4 are businesses with a greater impact on the environment, such as a fuel depot or a car dismantling facility.
- Do you have a Type 1 business? Then you must comply with the general rules.
- Do you have a Type 2 business? Then you must comply with the general rules and file a notification before starting operations.
- Do you have a Type 3 business? Then you must apply for a permit from the Public Entity of Bonaire.
- Do you have a Type 4 business? Then you must apply for a permit from the national government.
The competent authority will verify your compliance with the rules. For Type 1, 2, and 3 businesses, this is done by inspectors from the Supervision & Enforcement Directorate, who conduct inspections on behalf of the Executive Council of Bonaire. For Type 4 businesses, inspections are conducted by the Environment & Transport Inspectorate on behalf of the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.
For more information about environmental regulations, visit the Environmental Information Center’s website: https://infomilcn.com. There you can also find information on how to file the notification.
When can you apply for this?
To complete the digital notification form, you will need:
- A certificate of registration from the Chamber of Commerce for your business.
- An extract from the Land Registry containing your company’s cadastral number.
- For new construction, the building permit number.
- A floor plan of the business premises.
How do you apply for this?
You submit your notification or application via the digital form. In this form, you answer a number of questions. You will then see whether your business is Type 2 or Type 3.
- Type 2
Is your business a Type 2 business? Then you must submit a notification.
If you complete the form in full and attach the correct documents, you will receive a confirmation via email. Your business will then be provisionally registered as Type 2. - Type 3
Is your business a Type 3 business? Then the Public Entity of Bonaire will contact you.
The licensing authority will discuss your application with you. Your application will then be processed further.
Who can you contact?
For all your questions about the IAB BES, you can contact the Environmental Information Center at the Chamber of Commerce every business day between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. You can also submit your questions online via the Environmental Information Center’s website.
Where can you find more information?
What do we do with your personal data?
When you submit an application or report, the Public Entity of Bonaire needs your personal data. The Public Entity of Bonaire handles your data with care.
The BES Personal Data Protection Act specifies how the Public Entity of Bonaire must do this.
The most important rules are:
- The Public Entity of Bonaire only requests data that is necessary for processing your application or report.
- They record and process your data securely, confidentially, and with care
- Your data will only be used for the application or report, or for something directly related to it.
- Your data will not be retained longer than necessary for the application or report.
- Other organizations will only receive your data if required by law.
- You may ask how your data is being used and what happens to it.
