(1)An appropriate authority may make EOR regulations only if satisfied that making the regulations will not result in environmental law providing an overall level of environmental protection that is less than that provided by environmental law at the time this Act is passed.
(2)EOR regulations may not contain provision that is inconsistent with the implementation of the international obligations of the United Kingdom relating to the assessment of the environmental impact of relevant plans and relevant consents.
(3)In exercising functions under this Part, an appropriate authority must seek to ensure that (so far as would not otherwise be the case) arrangements will exist under which the public will be informed of any proposed relevant consent or proposed relevant plan in sufficient detail, and at a sufficiently early stage, to enable adequate public engagement to take place.
(4)In this section—
“adequate public engagement” means such engagement with the public, in relation to a proposed relevant consent or proposed relevant plan, as the appropriate authority considers appropriate;
“environmental law” means environmental law (within the meaning of Part 1 of the Environment Act 2021 but disregarding section 46(3) and (4) of that Act), whether or not the environmental law is in force.