The European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1986 (“the 1986 Regulations”).

Amongst the provisions which Schedule 1 to the 1986 Regulations applies, with modifications, for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections in Northern Ireland are the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983. These rules were amended by Schedule 2 to the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 to make fresh provision about the use of a description resembling the name of a political party registered under that Act and the inclusion of a registered emblem of such a party against a candidate’s name on the ballot paper. Paragraphs (12), (15) and (16) of regulation 6 of, and the Schedule to, these Regulations take account of those amendments and provide a new form of ballot paper.

Regulations 3, 4 and 7 and paragraphs (6), (8), (10), (13) and (14) of regulation 6 reflects changes of terminology and other amendments made by the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999.

The provision made in respect of by-elections in regulation 5 is consequential on the replacement of the existing provision in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 by an amendment in the 1999 Act which delegated provision about by-elections to subordinate legislation.

Of the other amendments made by these Regulations, there is an increase from £5 to £5,000 in the amount that a person not authorised by the election agent of a candidate can spend in promoting or procuring the election of a candidate. This change is made by regulation 6(4) and is intended to bring the law into line with a decision of the European Court of Human Rights. The limits on a candidate’s election expenses are increased by regulation 6(5).