Article 16 Organisation and main principles of the permit-granting procedure

The permit-granting procedure shall cover all relevant administrative permits to build, repower and operate renewable energy plants, including those combining different renewable energy sources, heat pumps, and co-located energy storage, including power and thermal facilities, as well as assets necessary for the connection of such plants, heat pumps and storage to the grid, and to integrate renewable energy into heating and cooling networks, including grid-connection permits and, where required, environmental assessments. The permit-granting procedure shall comprise all administrative stages from the acknowledgment of the completeness of the permit application in accordance with paragraph 2 to the notification of the final decision on the outcome of the permit-granting procedure by the relevant competent authority or authorities.

Within 30 days, for renewable energy plants located in renewables acceleration areas, and within 45 days, for renewable energy plants located outside renewables acceleration areas, of receipt of an application for a permit, the competent authority shall acknowledge the completeness of the application or, if the applicant has not sent all the information required to process the application, request that the applicant submit a complete application without undue delay. The date of acknowledgement of the completeness of the application by the competent authority shall serve as the start of the permit-granting procedure.

Member States shall set up or designate one or more contact points. Those contact points shall, upon the request of the applicant, guide and facilitate the applicant during the entire administrative permit-application and permit-granting procedure. The applicant shall not be required to contact more than one contact point during the entire procedure. The contact point shall guide the applicant through the administrative permit-application procedure, including the steps relating to the protection of the environment, in a transparent manner up to the delivery of one or more decisions by the competent authorities at the end of the permit-granting procedure, provide the applicant with all necessary information and, where appropriate, involve, other administrative authorities. The contact point shall ensure that the deadlines for the permit-granting procedures set out in this Directive are met. Applicants shall be allowed to submit relevant documents in digital form. By 21 November 2025 Member States shall ensure that all permit-granting procedures are carried out in electronic form.

The contact point shall make available a manual of procedures for developers of renewable energy plants and shall provide that information online, addressing distinctly also small-scale renewable energy projects, renewables self-consumers projects and renewable energy communities. The online information shall indicate the contact point relevant to the application in question. If a Member State has more than one contact point, the online information shall indicate the contact point relevant to the application in question.

Member States shall ensure that applicants and the general public have easy access to simple procedures for the settlement of disputes concerning the permit-granting procedure and the issuance of permits to build and operate renewable energy plants, including, where applicable, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Member States shall ensure that administrative and judicial appeals in the context of a project for the development of a renewable energy plant, the connection of that plant to the grid, and the assets necessary for the development of the energy infrastructure networks required to integrate energy from renewable sources into the energy system, including appeals related to environmental aspects, are subject to the most expeditious administrative and judicial procedure that is available at the relevant national, regional and local level.

Member States shall provide adequate resources to ensure qualified staff, upskilling and reskilling of their competent authorities in line with the planned installed renewable energy generation capacity provided for in their integrated national energy and climate plans submitted pursuant to Articles 3 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. Member States shall assist regional and local authorities in order to facilitate the permit-granting procedure.

Except when it coincides with other administrative stages of the permit-granting procedure, the duration of the permit-granting procedure shall not include:

Decisions resulting from the permit-granting procedures shall be made publicly available in accordance with the applicable law.