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Sustainable Uruguay Expo
Ministry of Environment presented the publication “20 years later: what is recent in Environmental Law”
06/12/2026
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The Ministry of the Environment and the Uruguayan Bar Association (CAU) presented the publication “20 years later: what is recent in Environmental Law”, a publication that compiles and analyzes the main environmental regulatory updates approved during 2025 and the first months of 2026.
The publication brings together the analysis of a set of standards that aim to update the environmental regulatory framework.
During the opening, Minister Ortuño highlighted the importance of having updated legal frameworks to respond to contemporary environmental challenges. "Environmental policy requires the development of public policies based on evidence and supported by solid technical work. But it also needs, in an indispensable way, an updated and robust regulatory framework that provides guarantees and establishes the bases to advance in the sustainable development of the country," said the leader.
The publication addresses new provisions linked to the management and protection of water resources such as Decree 226/025, which updates the quality criteria for surface and groundwater and establishes new environmental parameters for discharges, replacing regulations in force since 1979.
Likewise, the declaration of 37 wetlands of environmental importance stands out, which allows the protection of nearly 800,000 hectares in strategic basins of the country, as well as the regulation of activities that can affect the drainage and runoff of water in urban and suburban environments.
In terms of circular economy and waste management, the publication includes the analysis of new regulations for waste generated in construction works, used batteries and electric mobility, in addition to regulations aimed at promoting the donation of food suitable for human consumption with the aim of reducing waste.
In addition to addressing national regulatory evolution, the publication incorporates the analysis of recent advisory opinions and decisions of international courts on the obligations of States in the face of climate change, an aspect that is becoming increasingly relevant for the development of Environmental Law at a global level.
"The publication that we present today includes some decrees and regulations of great importance, which we must value in their proper dimension. Since the end of the 1970s, academics, specialists, civil society organizations and public sector actors have been raising the need to update environmental regulations," said Ortuño who added, "in that sense, advances such as decrees on water quality and pollution prevention, the protection of wetlands, waste management, the reduction of food waste and the strengthening of regulations to respond to climate change in cities are part of a collective construction process that has been going on for several decades.”
Also highlighted are the modifications to the sanctioning regime associated with environmental impact assessment and environmental authorizations, strengthening environmental control and management instruments.
The publication constitutes a reference tool for professionals, students, researchers and decision makers interested in the recent evolution of Environmental Law in Uruguay and the challenges posed by the environmental agenda in these times.
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