EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These regulations provide the framework of a charging scheme to enable the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to recover its costs for regulating the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Regulation 3 provides that under these regulations the functions of the enforcing authority are those of the chief inspector.
Regulation 4 provides that the Department may make, and from time to time revise, a charging scheme prescribing fees and charges for certain listed purposes related to the regulation of greenhouse gas permits and that the fees and charges shall be payable to the enforcing authority. It also provides that the scheme will prescribe the times and manner in which payments required by the scheme are made, subject to the requirements in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2005.
Regulation 5 provides that where the Environment Agency proposes to prescribe operator registry charges these charges will be included in a scheme provision giving effect to the proposals. Any operator registry charges that the enforcing authority receives will be passed on to the Agency.
An impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business is available from the Department of the Environment, Calvert House, 23 Castle Place, Belfast BT1 1FY.