3(1)Sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) apply to the publication of the first strategy under section 22(1).
(2)Environmental Standards Scotland must lay a copy of the strategy before the Scottish Parliament under paragraph 2(1) before the end of the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which section 19 comes into force (being the day on which Environmental Standards Scotland is established).
(3)For the purpose of paragraph 2(3)(a), it is immaterial that anything done by way of consultation was done before that paragraph comes into force (whether before or after the Bill for this Act was passed).
(4)Before publishing the first strategy under section 22(1), Environmental Standards Scotland may publish an interim strategy that sets out how it intends to exercise its functions during the transitional period.
(5)An interim strategy published under sub-paragraph (4) must set out the information specified in paragraph 1.
(6)But the procedure for publication set out in paragraph 2 does not apply to the publication of an interim strategy.
(7)Environmental Standards Scotland must exercise its functions, during the transitional period, in accordance with any interim strategy it publishes under sub-paragraph (4).
(8)In this paragraph, “transitional period” means the period beginning with the day on which section 19 comes into force and ending on the day on which the first strategy is published under section 22(1).