<akomaNtoso xmlns:uk="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/UK-AKN" xmlns:ukl="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0 http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/akn-core/v1.0/cos01/part2-specs/schemas/akomantoso30.xsd"><act name="asc"><meta><identification source="#"><FRBRWork><FRBRthis value="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4"/><FRBRuri value="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4"/><FRBRdate date="2026-04-27" name="enacted"/><FRBRauthor href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/legislature/WelshParliament"/><FRBRcountry value="GB-UKM"/><FRBRnumber value="4"/><FRBRname value="2026 c. 4"/><FRBRprescriptive value="true"/></FRBRWork><FRBRExpression><FRBRthis value="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/2026-06-27"/><FRBRuri 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showAs="policy"/><TLCTerm eId="term-making-policy" href="/ontology/term/uk.making-policy" showAs="making policy"/><TLCTerm eId="term-wales" href="/ontology/term/uk.wales" showAs="Wales"/></references><notes source="#"><note ukl:Name="Commentary" ukl:Type="I" class="commentary I" eId="key-c65dae122d87fde7dcb6e4ca9cf52e0d" marker="I1"><p>S. 3  in force at 31.3.2027, see <ref eId="nd376ef37488deb4f" class="subref operative" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/46/3">s. 46(3)</ref></p></note></notes><proprietary xmlns:ukm="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/metadata" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" source="#"><dc:identifier>http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/section/3</dc:identifier><dc:title>Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026</dc:title><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:publisher>Statute Law Database</dc:publisher><dc:modified>2026-07-16</dc:modified><dc:contributor>Expert Participation</dc:contributor><dct:valid>2026-06-27</dct:valid><ukm:PrimaryMetadata><ukm:DocumentClassification><ukm:DocumentCategory Value="primary"/><ukm:DocumentMainType Value="WelshParliamentAct"/><ukm:DocumentStatus Value="revised"/></ukm:DocumentClassification><ukm:Year Value="2026"/><ukm:Number Value="4"/><ukm:EnactmentDate Date="2026-04-27"/><ukm:ISBN Value="9780348113983"/><ukm:UnappliedEffects><ukm:UnappliedEffect AffectingProvisions="s. 46(3)" Row="3" AffectingNumber="4" AffectedURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4" AffectedNumber="4" AffectedExtent="E+W" AffectingYear="2026" AffectingURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4" Type="coming into force" AffectedTerritorialApplication="W" RequiresWelshApplied="true" Created="2026-06-17T12:08:45Z" AffectedProvisions="s. 3" AffectingClass="WelshParliamentAct" AffectedYear="2026" RequiresApplied="true" AffectedClass="WelshParliamentAct" EffectId="key-c65dae122d87fde7dcb6e4ca9cf52e0d" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/effect/key-c65dae122d87fde7dcb6e4ca9cf52e0d"><ukm:AffectedTitle>Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026</ukm:AffectedTitle><ukm:AffectedTitle xml:lang="cy">Deddf yr Amgylchedd (Egwyddorion, Llywodraethiant a Thargedau Bioamrywiaeth) (Cymru) 2026</ukm:AffectedTitle><ukm:AffectedProvisions><ukm:Section Ref="section-3" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/3">s. 3</ukm:Section></ukm:AffectedProvisions><ukm:AffectingTitle>Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026</ukm:AffectingTitle><ukm:AffectingTitle xml:lang="cy">Deddf yr Amgylchedd (Egwyddorion, Llywodraethiant a Thargedau Bioamrywiaeth) (Cymru) 2026</ukm:AffectingTitle><ukm:AffectingProvisions><ukm:Section Ref="section-46-3" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/46/3">s. 46(3)</ukm:Section></ukm:AffectingProvisions><ukm:InForceDates><ukm:InForce Applied="false" WelshApplied="false" Date="2027-03-31" Qualification="wholly in force"/></ukm:InForceDates></ukm:UnappliedEffect></ukm:UnappliedEffects></ukm:PrimaryMetadata><ukm:Alternatives><ukm:Alternative URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/pdfs/asc_20260004_we.pdf" Date="2026-05-11" Size="2476535" Language="Welsh" Print="false"/><ukm:Alternative URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/pdfs/asc_20260004_en.pdf" Date="2026-05-11" Size="2493561" Print="false"/><ukm:Alternative URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/pdfs/asc_20260004_mi.pdf" Date="2026-05-11" Size="3286135" Language="Mixed" Print="true"/></ukm:Alternatives><ukm:Statistics><ukm:TotalParagraphs Value="92"/><ukm:BodyParagraphs Value="58"/><ukm:ScheduleParagraphs Value="34"/><ukm:AttachmentParagraphs Value="0"/><ukm:TotalImages Value="0"/></ukm:Statistics></proprietary></meta><body eId="body"><part eId="part-1"><num>PART 1</num><heading>ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPLES</heading><section eId="section-3" uk:target="true"><num>3</num><heading>Welsh Ministers’ duties when making policy</heading><subsection eId="section-3-1"><num>(1)</num><intro><p>The Welsh Ministers must, for the purpose of contributing to the environmental objective—</p></intro><level class="para1" eId="section-3-1-a"><num>(a)</num><content><p>have special regard to the environmental principles when making policy in relation to Wale‍s, and</p></content></level><level class="para1" eId="section-3-1-b"><num>(b)</num><content><p>integrate environmental protection into the making of such policy.</p></content></level></subsection><subsection eId="section-3-2"><num>(2)</num><content><p>In complying with the duty in subsection (1), the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement or revised statement published under section‍ 7.</p></content></subsection><subsection eId="section-3-3"><num>(3)</num><intro><p>In this section—</p></intro><level class="para1" eId="section-3-3-a"><num>(a)</num><content><p>“<term refersTo="#term-policy" eId="term-policy">policy</term>” includes proposals for legislation, but does not include an administrative decision in relation to a particular person or case;</p></content></level><level class="para1" eId="section-3-3-b"><num>(b)</num><content><p>“<term refersTo="#term-making-policy" eId="term-making-policy">making policy</term>” includes developing, adopting or revising policies;</p></content></level><level class="para1" eId="section-3-3-c"><num>(c)</num><content><p>“<term refersTo="#term-wales" eId="term-wales">Wales</term>” includes, so far as policy relates to fishing, fisheries or fish health, the area of the Welsh zone beyond the seaward limit of the territorial sea.</p></content></level></subsection><subsection eId="section-3-4"><num>(4)</num><content><p>The duty in subsection (1) does not apply where the policy in question would have no effect or a negligible effect on the environment.</p></content></subsection></section></part></body></act></akomaNtoso>