Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026

7 Environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement: procedural requirements

(1) The Welsh Ministers must consult the following when preparing a draft of the environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement—

(a) Natural Resources Wales;

(b) the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales;

(c) the OEGW;

(d) such other persons as they consider appropriate.

(2) The Welsh Ministers must lay before Senedd Cymru—

(a) a copy of the draft environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement‍, together with

(b) a document giving details of the consultation carried out under subsection (1) and summarising the representations received and the Welsh Ministers’ response to them.

(3) If, before the end of the 40-day period, Senedd Cymru makes recommendations in relation to the draft, the Welsh Ministers must lay before Senedd Cymru their response to the recommendations.

(4) The Welsh Ministers must prepare a final environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement and lay it before Senedd Cymru.

(5) The final statement must not be laid before—

(a) if subsection (3) applies, the day on which the Welsh Ministers lay their response, or

(b) otherwise, the end of the 40-day period.

(6) The Welsh Ministers must publish the final statement when it is laid before Senedd Cymru.

(7) The final statement must be laid before Senedd Cymru no later than 31 March 2027.

(8) The “40-day period”—

(a) begins with the day on which the draft is laid before Senedd Cymru under subsection (2), and

(b) does not include any period during which Senedd Cymru is dissolved or is in recess for more than 4 days.

(9) The Welsh Ministers must review the environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement after each general election and may review it at any other time.

(10) In subsection (9), “general election” means an ordinary general election or an extraordinary general election held under Part 1 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).

(11) After reviewing the statement, the Welsh Ministers may prepare a revised environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement; and subsections (1) to (6) and (8) to (10) apply in relation to any revised statement.

(12) The requirement in subsection (1) may be met by consultation carried out before this section comes into force.