The Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994

Reports on references

36.—(1) In making a report on any reference under Article 34, the Commission—

(a)shall include in the report definite conclusions on the questions comprised in the reference together with such an account of their reasons for those conclusions as, in their opinion, is expedient for facilitating proper understanding of those questions and of their conclusions;

(b)where they conclude that any course of conduct specified in the reference has operated, or might be expected to operate, against the public interest, shall specify in the report the effects adverse to the public interest which that course of conduct has had or might be expected to have; and

(c)where they conclude that any adverse effects so specified could be remedied or prevented by the imposition of any conditions in relation to the airport in question, or by the modification of any conditions already in force in relation to it, shall specify in the report the conditions that should be imposed or (as the case may be) the modifications that should be made.

(2) The Commission’s conclusions on a reference under Article 34(1) so far as relating to the maximum amounts referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of that provision shall take the form of recommendations as to what those maximum amounts should be during the five years in question; and any such recommendations may do any of the things referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) of Article 31(5).

(3) Where, on any reference under Article 34, the Commission conclude that an airport operator is a party to an agreement to which the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976(1) applies, the Commission, in making their report on that reference, shall exclude from their consideration the question whether the provisions of that agreement, in so far as they are provisions by virtue of which it is an agreement to which that Act applies, have operated, or might be expected to operate, against the public interest; and sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1) shall have effect subject to the provisions of this paragraph.

(4) Section 82 of the 1973 Act (general provisions as to reports) shall apply in relation to reports of the Commission on references under Article 34 as it applies to reports of the Commission under that Act.

(5) A report of the Commission on any reference under Article 34 shall be sent to the CAA.

(6) On receiving such a report, the CAA—

(a)shall send a copy of the report to the Department and to the airport operator concerned; and

(b)subject to any direction given by the Department under paragraph (7), shall publish the report in such manner as the CAA considers appropriate for bringing the report to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it.

(7) If it appears to the Department that the publication of any matter in such a report would be against the public interest or the commercial interests of any person, it may, before the end of the period of 21 days beginning with the day on which it receives the copy of the report, direct the CAA to exclude that matter from the report as published under paragraph (6).