Consultation hub

As Scotland’s principal environmental regulator, our purpose is to protect and improve Scotland’s environment in ways that as far as possible also create health and well-being benefits, and sustainable economic growth.

To help us achieve this, we talk with those who matter most – our communities, the businesses we regulate and their stakeholders and our partners.

Featured consultations

  • Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (EPAS) - a fair way to report performance​

    Foreword by Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Environment Protection Agency "Scotland’s environment is a unique resource that sits at the heart of our nation’s identity, well-being and prosperity. Our environmental laws help to protect and enhance this vital resource so that future generations can thrive. Our environmental laws are, however, only effective when there is strong compliance with them. Ensuring that this is the case is an important part...

    Closes 30 June 2025

Open consultations

  • Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (EPAS) - a fair way to report performance​

    Foreword by Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Environment Protection Agency "Scotland’s environment is a unique resource that sits at the heart of our nation’s identity, well-being and prosperity. Our environmental laws help to protect and enhance this vital resource so that future generations can thrive. Our environmental laws are, however, only effective...

    Closes 30 June 2025

  • EPAS Engagement Event

    Thank you for attending our recent EPAS event. We hope you found the session valuable and informative. To help us improve future events and ensure they meet your needs and expectations, we would appreciate your feedback. This short survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.

    Closes 30 June 2025

  • CAR/L/1018068 - Mowi Scotland Limited: Airds Point (Etive 4) MPFF

    It is part of our remit to protect the marine environment. We regulate finfish farms through permits that limit the pollutants discharged to the water environment and, where appropriate, the amount of water which can be abstracted. If you have an interest in this application please tell us by completing the following questions and submitting them to us by 2 July 2025. ...

    Closes 2 July 2025

  • PPC/A/1000157/CP01 - The Lochnagar Distillery Limited: Cameronbridge Distillery, Leven - PPC Variation

    It's part of SEPA’s remit to maintain a high-quality environment by setting permit conditions which limit the impacts associated with installations operating under Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Part A regulations. Variation Details SEPA proposes to vary the existing permit of The Lochnagar Distillery Limited Diageo Distillery Limited, PPC/A/1000157/CP01/VAR03 at...

    Closes 4 July 2025

  • Hydrology Data Users Survey

    This survey is designed to help us understand current and future requirements for the provision of Hydrological data. We are hoping to gather information which will allow us to better understand who is using our data, what they use it for, how important it is and what their future data requirements are likely to be. We are also interested to hear about ways in which you feel we could improve...

    Closes 12 August 2025

Closed consultations

We Asked, You Said, We Did

Here are some of the issues we have consulted on and their outcomes. See all outcomes

We asked

For your views on changes to SEPA charges for the marine fish farm sector to recover the costs of environmental monitoring to investigate the interaction between sea lice from marine fish farms and wild salmon and sea trout.

You said

We received 12 responses to the consultation. Respondents from the fish farming sector recognised that it was appropriate, in principle, for SEPA to recover the costs of sea lice-related monitoring from fish farm operators. They had several concerns about the details of the proposals and told us it was important that charges paid by fish farmers were exclusively for recovering the costs of monitoring sea lice interactions with wild fish (i.e. not other pressures); the monitoring must be more effective than existing monitoring; and, to avoid duplication and unnecessary costs, the monitoring must replace planning permission monitoring requirements. Most respondents from organisations involved in the conservation and management of wild salmon and sea trout told us that they supported the changes in charges and considered that the proposed monitoring programmes would be a significant improvement in how sea lice/wild salmon and sea trout interactions are monitored.

We did

We considered your feedback carefully. We agree with many of the points raised, including that the costs recovered are exclusively the costs of investigating pressure from sea lice from fish farms; the monitoring being carried out under planning permissions should be superseded; monitoring must be scientifically designed to best provide the evidence required; and advice from stakeholder advisory groups should be sought and considered in planning the monitoring for 2026 and beyond, reviewing results and adapting monitoring as appropriate. For points that we have not taken forward, we have explained why we consider the approach we proposed to be more appropriate. You can find information about our consideration of each of the points raised in our Consultation Digest.

We asked

For your views on proposed standard conditions for regulating registration-level activities under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR). We explained the conditions for each activity and, where needed, why they were considered necessary.

You said

We received 24 responses. Most respondents responded positively, and most supported most of the proposals. When respondents disagreed with the proposals, we asked them to provide a rationale explaining why.

We did

We considered your feedback carefully and revised or clarified certain conditions. We scaled requirements to risk, simplified terminology, improved transparency, added flexibility, and updated or confirmed relevant codes. Where proposals were supported, we are proceeding as planned.

Our Consultation Digest summarises what you told us and the actions we’ve taken. The Consultation Response provides more detail on the proposals, responses, and next steps

We asked

For your views on proposed changes to our charging scheme for waste, water, and industrial activities regulated through our Integrated Authorisation Framework (IAF). We also sought feedback on calculating the charges, revising the charging descriptions, and making other changes.

You said

You broadly supported the proposed changes to charges for water and industrial activities, with nearly all respondents in agreement. Most of you also supported the proposed changes to waste activity charges, though a few raised concerns or disagreed. We received 28 responses in total, mostly from businesses.

We did

Take your comments and feedback into account, making changes to our proposals as a result. Full details of what you told us and our responses are available in our Consultation Digest.