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					<dc:identifier>http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/section/44</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>
					
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					<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>
					

                    
									 
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				</ukm:Metadata><Primary><Body DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/body" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/body" NumberOfProvisions="58" NumberFormat="default" TerritorialApplication="W" RestrictExtent="E+W" RestrictStartDate="2026-06-27"><Part DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/part/4" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/part/4" NumberOfProvisions="7" id="part-4" TerritorialApplication="W" RestrictExtent="E+W" RestrictStartDate="2026-06-27"><Number>PART 4</Number><Title>GENERAL</Title><P1group TerritorialApplication="W" RestrictExtent="E+W" RestrictStartDate="2026-04-28"><Title>General interpretation</Title><P1 DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2026/4/section/44" IdURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/44" id="section-44">
<Pnumber PuncAfter=""><CommentaryRef Ref="key-5ef18918d28ce71fc80d413af5744c6a"/>44</Pnumber>
<P1para>
<Text>In this Act—</Text>
<UnorderedList Class="Definition" Decoration="none">
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-compliance-notice">compliance notice</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>hysbysiad cydymffurfio</Emphasis></Term>”) means a notice served under section 18;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-effectiveness-of-environmental-law">effectiveness of environmental law</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>effeithiolrwydd cyfraith amgylcheddol</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given by section 33;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-environment">environment</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>amgylchedd</Emphasis></Term>”) means—</Text>
<OrderedList Type="alpha" Decoration="parens">
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>air, water and land (including the earth’s crust),</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>plants, wild animals and other living organisms and their habitats, and</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>the natural systems, cycles and processes through which the things in paragraphs (a) and (b) interact;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
</OrderedList>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-the-environment-act">the Environment Act</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>Deddf yr Amgylchedd</Emphasis></Term>”) means the Environment (Wales) Act <Citation URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/anaw/2016/3" id="c00017" Year="2016" Number="3" Class="WelshNationalAssemblyAct">2016 (anaw 3)</Citation>;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-environmental-law">environmental law</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>cyfraith amgylcheddol</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given by section 31;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-environmental-objective">environmental objective</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>amcan amgylcheddol</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given by section 1;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-environmental-principles">environmental principles</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>egwyddorion amgylcheddol</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given by section 2;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-environmental-principles-and-integrating-environmental-protection-statement">environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>datganiad o egwyddorion amgylcheddol ac integreiddio diogelu’r amgylchedd</Emphasis></Term>”) means a statement prepared and published under section‍ 7;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-environmental-protection">environmental protection</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>diogelu’r amgylchedd</Emphasis></Term>”) means—</Text>
<OrderedList Type="alpha" Decoration="parens">
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>protection of the environment from the effects of human activity;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>maintenance, restoration or enhancement of the environment;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>protection of people, in particular their health, from the effects of human activity on the environment;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>monitoring, assessing, considering, advising or reporting on anything in paragraphs (a) to (c);</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
</OrderedList>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-failing-to-comply-with-environmental-law">failing to comply with environmental law</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>methu â chydymffurfio â chyfraith amgylcheddol</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given by section 34;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-improvement-plan">improvement plan</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>cynllun gwella</Emphasis></Term>”) means a plan published under section 24;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-improvement-report">improvement report</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>adroddiad gwella</Emphasis></Term>”) means a report published under section 22;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-information-notice">information notice</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>hysbysiad gwybodaeth</Emphasis></Term>”) means a notice served under section 15;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-the-oegw">the OEGW</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>SLlAC</Emphasis></Term>”) means the Office of Environmental Governance Wales established under section 8(1);</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-public-authority">public authority</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>awdurdod cyhoeddus</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given—</Text>
<OrderedList Type="alpha" Decoration="parens">
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>in relation to sections 5 and 6, by section 5(4);</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>in relation to Part 2, by section 32;</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
</OrderedList>
</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>
<Text>“<Term id="term-urgent-compliance-notice">urgent compliance notice</Term>” (“<Term><Emphasis>hysbysiad cydymffurfio brys</Emphasis></Term>”) has the meaning given by section 19(4).</Text>
</Para>
</ListItem>
</UnorderedList>
</P1para>
</P1></P1group></Part></Body></Primary><Commentaries><Commentary Type="I" id="key-5ef18918d28ce71fc80d413af5744c6a"><Para><Text>S. 44  in force at 28.4.2026, see <CitationSubRef id="na0f256e0ed6e66cb" SectionRef="section-46-1" URI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asc/2026/4/section/46/1" Operative="true">s. 46(1)</CitationSubRef></Text></Para></Commentary></Commentaries></Legislation>