EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Water Resources (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 (“the Principal Regulations”) both as a consequence of the coming into operation of the Water Abstraction and Impoundment (Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (“the Abstraction Regulations”) and also to implement, in part, Article 2 of Directive 2003/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on public participation in respect of drawing up certain plans or programmes relating to the environment (O.J. No. L156, 25.6.2003, p.17). That Article amends Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (O.J. No. L73, 14.3.97, p.5),.
The amendments made as a consequence of the coming into operation of the Abstraction Regulations are largely technical in nature. Their effect is to abolish a separate consenting regime under the Principal Regulations so that with effect from 1st February 2007 relevant projects (water management projects for agriculture involving the abstraction of 200 cubic metres or more of water in any period of 24 hours) will require to be licensed under the Abstraction Regulations. Any consents issued under the Principal Regulations prior to the coming into operation of these Regulations will, after that date, be treated as licences under the Abstraction Regulations.