Integration Of Environmental Safeguards Into Ethiopian Investment And Sectoral Laws

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the nature, scope and extent to which
environmental norms and principles are integrated into the Ethiopian investment
laws. The integration of an environmental matter into investment laws is
very important in that it ensures that investment bodies and institutions do
not disregard the environment by focusing only on economic achievement.
The legal analysis of Ethiopian investment laws shows that although they
contain environmental protection provisions, the language, manner and extent
of stipulation adopted differ. The Mining Operation Proclamation No. 678/
2010, Energy Proclamation No. 810/2013 and Petroleum and Petroleum
Products Supply Operation Proclamation No. 838/2014 integrate
environmental protection in an unequivocal manner. However, the Investment
Proclamation No. 769/2012 and Transaction of Precious Minerals
Proclamation No. 651/2009 do not use similar language with proceeding
proclamations. This article argues that if environmental protection is
integrated both under the Investment Proclamation No. 769/2012 and the
Transaction of Precious Minerals Proclamation No.651/2009, the language
used in both proclamations should be unequivocal, clear and in good manner
similar to those of Mining Operation Proclamation No. 678/2010, Energy
Proclamation No. 810/2013 and Petroleum and Petroleum Products Supply
Operation Proclamation No. 838/2014.