1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 These Regulations may be cited as the Air Quality Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 1st September 2003.
2 In these Regulations “the Order” means the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002
3 For the purposes of these Regulations, any reference to a numbered provision is a reference to that numbered provision of the Order.

2 Relevant Authorities
A competent authority specified in column 1 of the Table shall be a relevant authority for the purposes of the corresponding provision specified in column 2 of the Table.
TABLE
Column 1	Column 2
Competent Authority	Provision
Department for Regional Development	Article 10(6)(c) & (7)(a)
Department for Social Development	
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	
A District Council	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	
Department for Regional Development	Article 13(3), (7), (8) and (9)
Department for Social Development	
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	
Department for Regional Development	Article 13(4)
Department for Social Development	
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
Department of the Environment	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	
Department for Regional Development	Article 16(1)
Department for Social Development	Schedule 2, paragraph 2
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	
Department of the Environment	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	
Department for Regional Development	Article 16(2)
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	
Department for Regional Development	Article 16(3)
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety	
Department of the Environment	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	
Department for Regional Development	Article 21(1)
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment	
District Councils	
Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation	
Northern Ireland Housing Executive	

3 Relevant Periods
1 The relevant period for the purposes of Article 13(4) of the Order shall be, in relation to the preparation of an action plan to which that Article applies, the period of 3 months beginning with the date on which the district council preparing the action plan first consults the relevant authority in relation to the plan pursuant to Article 13(3) of the Order.
2 The relevant period for the purposes of any other provision of Part III of the Order shall be, in relation to an air quality objective, the period beginning with the date on which these Regulations come into operation and ending on the date set out in the third column of the Table in the Schedule which relates to that objective.

4 Air Quality Objectives
1 It is an air quality objective for each substance listed in the first column of the Table in the Schedule that the level at which that substance is present in the air is restricted to a level set out in the second column of that Table for that substance by no later than the date set out in the third column of that Table for that substance and level.
2 The achievement or likely achievement of an air quality objective prescribed by paragraph (1) shall be determined by reference to the quality of air at locations –
(a) which are situated outside of buildings or other natural or man-made structures above or below ground; and
(b) where members of the public are regularly present.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment on 22nd July 2003.
Judena Goldring A senior officer of the Department of the Environment