Environmental Administrative Policing as a Mechanism for Environmental Protection under Algerian Legislation

Abstract

The Algerian legislator has established several legal means at the disposal of the administration to protect the environment from various forms of abuse and to achieve an environmental setting free from all manifestations of pollution. Accordingly, the administration is empowered to exercise administrative policing functions, which are characterized by their preventive nature, by implementing all necessary measures and procedures to ensure that the environment is not adversely affected. This is known as the precautionary principle.

However, such prior measures may not prevent individuals from committing unlawful acts that adversely affect environmental safety. This situation requires and empowers the administration to take all necessary subsequent measures to ensure that the environment is not harmed and, consequently, to achieve sustainable development.