These Regulations may be cited as the Road Passenger Transport (Qualifications of Operators) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 and shall come into operation on 18^th August 2014.

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 M1 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

In these Regulations—

• “the 1967 Act” means the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 M2;

• “the 2009 Regulation” means Regulation (EC) No. 1071/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator and repealing Council Directive 96/26/ECM3; and

• F2“the 2009 Regulation (EU)” means Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator and repealing Council Directive 96/26/EC, as that Regulation has effect in EU law;

• “the Department” means the F1Department for Infrastructure .

Unless the context otherwise requires, expressions used in the 2009 Regulation have the same meaning when used in these Regulations.