Written Warnings in Indonesian Environmental Enforcement: The First-Tier Administrative Sanction Under PP 22/2021
Executive Summary
Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 (PP 22/2021) establishes written warnings (teguran tertulis) as the entry point to Indonesia's administrative enforcement system through BAB XI Paragraf 2 (Pasal 510). As the first tier of five escalating sanctions, written warnings provide operators formal notice of violations and specify compliance deadlines before more severe measures apply.
The regulation limits written warnings to administrative violations, distinguishing them from substantive environmental harm. Typical triggers include reporting failures, missing B3 waste labels, and absent compliance point markers. These procedural violations receive the opportunity for self-correction rather than immediate coercive response.
Written warning decisions must contain specific elements including the violated provision, required corrective actions, and compliance deadline. Failure to comply within the specified timeframe directly triggers escalation to government coercion under Pasal 511, with no second warning required. This creates clear consequences for ignoring initial enforcement action.
The framework positions written warnings as both compliance tool and documentation mechanism. Authorities must issue warnings based on supervision reports, creating evidentiary foundation for subsequent escalation when necessary.
Background & Context
Administrative enforcement systems require graduated responses allowing proportional intervention based on violation severity. Immediate maximum sanctions for minor procedural failures would create disproportionate consequences while potentially overwhelming enforcement resources. Written warnings address this by providing formal notice with compliance opportunity before escalation.
Indonesian environmental law follows this graduated approach. The five-tier sanction system established in PP 22/2021 begins with written warnings, escalates through government coercion and administrative fines, and culminates in license suspension and revocation. Each tier represents increased intervention intensity, with written warnings providing the gentlest formal response.
Written warnings serve dual functions beyond mere notification. First, they establish formal record of the violation and required corrective action, creating documentation foundation for subsequent enforcement. Second, they provide operators compliance opportunity without immediate operational disruption or financial penalty. This balance between enforcement rigor and proportionality characterizes effective regulatory systems.
The limitation to administrative violations reflects substantive law principles distinguishing procedural failures from environmental harm. Missing labels or late reports do not directly damage the environment in the way that pollution exceedances do. This distinction justifies different enforcement responses, with procedural failures receiving compliance opportunity rather than immediate coercion.
Key Provisions
Five-Tier Sanction System
Written warnings occupy the first position in the escalating sanction hierarchy.
Pasal 508 Ayat 1:
"(1) Sanksi Administratif berupa: a. teguran tertulis; b. paksaan pemerintah; c. denda administratif; d. pembekuan Perizinan Berusaha; dan/atau e. pencabutan Perizinan Berusaha."
Administrative Sanctions consist of written warning, government coercion, administrative fine, business license suspension, and business license revocation. The sequential listing reflects escalation progression, with written warnings as the initial intervention and license revocation as the ultimate sanction.
Decision Format Requirements
Written warnings must be issued as formal decisions containing specified elements.
Pasal 508 Ayat 2-3:
"(2) Sanksi Administratif sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) diterbitkan dalam bentuk keputusan. (3) Keputusan sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (2) paling sedikit memuat: a. nama jabatan dan alamat pejabat administrasi yang berwenang; b. nama dan alamat penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan; c. nama dan alamat perusahaan; d. jenis pelanggaran; e. ketentuan yang dilanggar; f. uraian kewajiban atau perintah yang harus dilakukan penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan; dan g. jangka waktu penaatan kewajiban penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan."
Sanctions are issued as decisions containing at minimum the authority name and address, operator name and address, company name and address, violation type, violated provision, description of required corrective actions, and compliance deadline. The deadline requirement is critical because non-compliance within this timeframe triggers escalation to government coercion.
Evidentiary Basis for Sanctions
Sanctions must be based on documented supervision findings.
Pasal 509 Ayat 1:
"(1) Sanksi Administratif diterapkan berdasarkan atas: a. berita acara pengawasan; dan b. laporan hasil pengawasan."
Administrative Sanctions are applied based on supervision minutes (berita acara pengawasan) and supervision results reports. This documentation requirement ensures sanctions rest on verified findings rather than mere allegations, while creating evidentiary foundation for subsequent enforcement proceedings.
Considerations for Sanction Application
Authorities apply sanctions based on multiple factors.
Pasal 509 Ayat 2:
"(2) Pejabat yang berwenang menerapkan Sanksi Administratif sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) berdasarkan pertimbangan: a. efektivitas dan efisiensi terhadap pelestarian fungsi Lingkungan Hidup; b. tingkatan atau jenis pelanggaran yang dilakukan oleh penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan; c. tingkat ketaatan penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan terhadap pemenuhan perintah atau kewajiban yang ditentukan dalam Sanksi Administratif; d. riwayat ketaatan penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan; dan/atau e. tingkat pengaruh atau implikasi pelanggaran yang dilakukan oleh penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau kegiatan pada Lingkungan Hidup."
Considerations include effectiveness and efficiency for environmental function preservation, violation type or severity, current compliance level with sanction obligations, operator compliance history, and environmental impact level of the violation. These factors guide both initial sanction selection and subsequent escalation decisions.
Written Warning Scope
Written warnings apply to specific violation categories.
Pasal 510:
"Sanksi Administratif berupa teguran tertulis sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 508 ayat (1) huruf a diterapkan apabila penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan melanggar ketentuan dalam Perizinan Berusaha, atau Persetujuan Pemerintah atau Pemerintah Daerah terkait Persetujuan Lingkungan, dan peraturan perundang-undangan di bidang Perlindungan dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup yang bersifat administratif."
Written warnings apply when operators violate Business License provisions, Government or Regional Government Approval provisions related to Environmental Approval, and administrative provisions of environmental protection regulations. The phrase "bersifat administratif" (of an administrative nature) limits written warnings to procedural violations rather than substantive environmental harm.
The regulation's explanatory notes provide specific examples of administrative violations triggering written warnings.
Penjelasan Pasal 510:
"Pelanggaran yang bersifat administratif antara lain tidak membuat dan menyampaikan laporan, tidak memasang simbol dan/atau label pada kemasan Limbah B3, dan tidak memasang tanda titik penaatan."
Administrative violations include not preparing and submitting reports, not placing symbols or labels on B3 waste packaging, and not installing compliance point markers. These examples illustrate the procedural nature of violations appropriately addressed through written warnings rather than immediate coercion.
Escalation Upon Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with written warnings triggers escalation.
Pasal 511 Ayat 1:
"(1) Sanksi Administratif berupa paksaan pemerintah sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 508 ayat (1) huruf b diterapkan terhadap penanggung jawab Usaha dan/atau Kegiatan yang tidak melaksanakan perintah dalam teguran tertulis dalam jangka waktu yang telah ditetapkan."
Government coercion applies to operators who fail to execute written warning orders within the established timeframe. This automatic escalation creates clear consequence for ignoring warnings, while the deadline specificity provides operators certainty about compliance requirements.
Implementation & Compliance
For Business Operators
Written warnings should be treated as serious formal enforcement action requiring immediate attention. The compliance deadline specified in the warning decision is binding, and failure to meet it triggers escalation to government coercion with potentially significant operational consequences.
Upon receiving a written warning, operators should immediately identify the specific violation cited, the corrective action required, and the compliance deadline. Compliance within the deadline closes the enforcement matter at the warning stage. Partial compliance or compliance after the deadline may not prevent escalation.
Common warning triggers include reporting failures, B3 waste labeling deficiencies, and missing compliance markers. Operators should ensure these administrative requirements receive consistent attention to prevent warnings in the first place. Compliance management systems should track reporting deadlines, labeling requirements, and marker installation obligations.
If the warning deadline cannot be met due to legitimate operational constraints, operators should communicate with the issuing authority immediately. While the regulation does not guarantee deadline extensions, proactive engagement may influence authority discretion regarding escalation timing.
For Environmental Authorities
Written warnings serve as both enforcement tool and documentation mechanism. The formal decision requirements ensure adequate record creation for subsequent escalation when necessary. Authorities should ensure warning decisions contain all required elements, particularly the clear compliance deadline that triggers escalation authority.
Supervision documentation provides the evidentiary foundation for warnings. Authorities should ensure supervision minutes and results reports clearly document violations before issuing warnings, creating defensible enforcement record.
The administrative violation limitation means written warnings are appropriate for procedural failures rather than substantive environmental harm. Violations causing actual pollution or environmental damage may warrant direct government coercion under emergency provisions rather than the warning-first approach.
Compliance monitoring following warning issuance is essential. Authorities must track deadline expiration and verify compliance status to determine whether escalation is appropriate. This requires adequate follow-up supervision resources.
For Legal Practitioners
Written warnings create legal obligations with specific deadlines. Operators receiving warnings have defined compliance periods, and failure to meet deadlines triggers escalation authority. Legal strategy should focus on achieving compliance within deadlines where possible.
The decision format requirements provide potential procedural challenge grounds if warnings lack required elements. However, procedural challenges should be weighed against the practical reality that correcting deficiencies typically serves operator interests better than litigation.
Compliance history affects subsequent sanction decisions. Operators with strong compliance records may receive more favorable consideration in sanction selection and deadline flexibility. Maintaining compliance records and demonstrating good faith efforts supports favorable treatment.
Conclusion
PP 22/2021's written warning framework positions formal notice as the appropriate first response to administrative environmental violations. The limitation to procedural failures, specified deadline requirements, and automatic escalation upon non-compliance creates balanced enforcement approach providing compliance opportunity without undermining enforcement credibility.
The decision format requirements ensure adequate documentation for subsequent enforcement while providing operators clear understanding of requirements. The supervision documentation prerequisite ensures warnings rest on verified findings rather than mere allegations.
Written warnings represent the regulatory system's measured initial response, reserving more intensive interventions for operators who demonstrate unwillingness to comply with formal notice. This graduated approach serves both proportionality principles and enforcement efficiency, concentrating resources on operators requiring intensive intervention while allowing compliant operators to resolve violations through self-correction.
Together with government coercion, administrative fines, license suspension, and license revocation, written warnings complete the five-tier administrative sanctions system that enables Indonesian environmental authorities to match enforcement intensity to violation severity and operator responsiveness.
Official Source
This article analyzes Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 on Environmental Protection and Management Implementation (PP 22/2021), specifically BAB XI Paragraf 1-2 (Pasal 508-510) on Written Warnings and general sanction provisions.
The official regulation text can be accessed at:
Primary Source:
PP No. 22 Tahun 2021 - BPK Regulation Portal
Alternative Sources:
- JDIH Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan
Official Gazette: Lembaran Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 2021 Nomor 32
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