This document summarises the main policy conclusions and recommendations from a five-year process of intergovernmental dialogue and institutional development on environmental permitting. It complements the technical guidance presented in the "Integrated Environmental Permitting Guidelines for EECCA Countries" (www.oecd.org/dataoecd/54/31/35056678.pdf). The Guiding Principles were endorsed by the members of the EECCA Regulatory Environmental Programme Implementation Network (REPIN) at their annual meeting in June 2006.