<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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href="" showAs="EnactmentDate"/><TLCLocation eId="extent-e+w" href="/ontology/jurisdictions/uk.EnglandWales" showAs="E+W"/><TLCTerm eId="term-environmental-law" href="/ontology/term/uk.environmental-law" showAs="environmental law"/><TLCTerm eId="term-devolved-provision" href="/ontology/term/uk.devolved-provision" showAs="devolved provision"/></references><notes source="#"><note ukl:Name="Commentary" ukl:Type="I" class="commentary I" eId="key-bb5de4539610a3de7304d9be6a3f833b" marker="I1"><p><ref eId="c9a0h7nk6-00152" class="subref" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/31">S. 31</ref> in force at 27.6.2026, see <ref eId="c9a0h7nk6-00153" class="subref operative" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/46/2/e">s. 46(2)(e)</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/31</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: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-2"><num>PART 2</num><heading>THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE WALES</heading><hcontainer name="crossheading" ukl:Name="Pblock" eId="part-2-crossheading-interpretation"><heading>Interpretation</heading><section eId="section-31" uk:target="true"><num>31</num><heading>Meaning of “environmental law”</heading><subsection eId="section-31-1"><num>(1)</num><intro><p>In this Part, “<term refersTo="#term-environmental-law" eId="term-environmental-law">environmental law</term>” means any devolved provision to the extent that it—</p></intro><level class="para1" eId="section-31-1-a"><num>(a)</num><content><p>wholly or mainly relates to environmental protection, and</p></content></level><level class="para1" eId="section-31-1-b"><num>(b)</num><intro><p>does not relate to—</p></intro><level class="para2" eId="section-31-1-b-i"><num>(i)</num><content><p>disclosure of, or access to, information;</p></content></level><level class="para2" eId="section-31-1-b-ii"><num>(ii)</num><content><p>taxation, finance or budgets.</p></content></level></level></subsection><subsection eId="section-31-2"><num>(2)</num><content><p>Subsection (1)(b)(i) does not exclude from the meaning of “environmental law” provisions in this Part that relate to the disclosure of information.</p></content></subsection><subsection eId="section-31-3"><num>(3)</num><intro><p>In subsection (1), “<term refersTo="#term-devolved-provision" eId="term-devolved-provision">devolved provision</term>” means—</p></intro><level class="para1" eId="section-31-3-a"><num>(a)</num><content><p>provision contained in, or in an instrument made under, an Assembly Measure or an Act of Senedd Cymru, and</p></content></level><level class="para1" eId="section-31-3-b"><num>(b)</num><content><p>provision contained in any other enactment which, if contained in an Act of Senedd Cymru, would be within the legislative competence of the Senedd (ignoring any requirement for the consent of a Minister of the Crown imposed under Schedule 7B to the Government of Wales Act <ref eId="c00012" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2006/32">2006 (c. 32)</ref>).</p></content></level></subsection><subsection eId="section-31-4"><num>(4)</num><content><p>The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, provide that a devolved provision specified in the regulations is, or is not, within the definition of “environmental law” in subsection (1) (and this Part applies accordingly).</p></content></subsection><subsection eId="section-31-5"><num>(5)</num><intro><p>Before making regulations under subsection (4) the Welsh Ministers must consult—</p></intro><level class="para1" eId="section-31-5-a"><num>(a)</num><content><p>the OEGW, and</p></content></level><level class="para1" eId="section-31-5-b"><num>(b)</num><content><p>such other persons as they consider appropriate.</p></content></level></subsection></section></hcontainer></part></body></act></akomaNtoso>