S. 27 in force at 30.6.2014 by S.S.I. 2014/160, art. 2(1)(2), Sch.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2014/3/section/27Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014An Act of the Scottish Parliament to enable provision to be made for the purpose of promoting regulatory consistency; to make provision in relation to primary authorities; to enable provision to be made, and to make provision, as respects regulatory activities, and offences, relating to the environment; to make provision about regulatory functions relating to marine licensing, planning and street traders' licences; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2024-05-21Expert Participation2020-12-31PART 3ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONCHAPTER 2SEPA'S POWERS OF ENFORCEMENTEnforcement undertakings
27Enforcement undertakings1

The Scottish Ministers may by order make provision—

a

for or about enabling SEPA to accept an enforcement undertaking from a person in a case where SEPA has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person has committed a relevant offence, and

b

for the acceptance of the undertaking to have the consequences in subsection (4).

2

For the purposes of this Chapter, an “enforcement undertaking” is an undertaking to take action of a type mentioned in subsection (3) and specified in the undertaking within such period as may be so specified.

3

The types of action are—

a

action to secure that the offence does not continue or recur,

b

action to secure that the position is, so far as possible, restored to what it would have been if the offence had not been committed,

c

action of a description specified by order by the Scottish Ministers.

4

The consequences are that, unless SEPA has certified under provision made in pursuance of subsection (5)(g) that the person from whom the enforcement undertaking is accepted has not complied with the undertaking or any part of it—

a

no criminal proceedings may be commenced against the person from whom the enforcement undertaking is accepted in respect of an offence constituted by an act or omission if the undertaking relates to that offence constituted by that act or omission,

b

SEPA may not impose on the person a fixed monetary penalty which it would otherwise have power to impose by virtue of section 20 in respect of the act or omission, and

c

SEPA may not impose on the person a variable monetary penalty which it would otherwise have power to impose by virtue of section 23 in respect of the act or omission.

5

An order under this section may in particular include provision—

a

as to the procedure for entering into an enforcement undertaking,

b

as to the terms of an enforcement undertaking,

c

as to publication of an enforcement undertaking by SEPA,

d

as to variation of an enforcement undertaking,

e

as to circumstances in which a person may be regarded as having complied with an enforcement undertaking,

f

as to monitoring by SEPA of compliance with an enforcement undertaking,

g

as to certification by SEPA that an enforcement undertaking or any part of it has not been complied with,

h

for appeals against such certification,

i

in a case where a person has given inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information in relation to an enforcement undertaking, for that person to be regarded as not having complied with it,

j

in a case where a person has complied partly but not fully with an enforcement undertaking, for that partial compliance to be taken into account in the imposition of any criminal or other sanction on the person,

k

for the purpose of enabling criminal proceedings in respect of an act or omission in relation to which SEPA has accepted an enforcement undertaking to be commenced against a person who has not complied with the undertaking or any part of it, for the period mentioned in subsection (6) not to be counted in calculating any period within which such proceedings must be commenced.

6

The period is that beginning with the day on which the enforcement undertaking is accepted and ending with—

a

the day on which SEPA certifies, under provision made in pursuance of subsection (5)(g), that the undertaking or any part of it has not been complied with, or

b

where an appeal against such a certification is taken, the day on which the appeal is finally determined.

7

The reference in subsection (4)(a) to criminal proceedings being commenced is to be read as if it included a reference to—

a

a warning being given by the procurator fiscal,

b

a conditional offer (within the meaning of section 302 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995) being sent,

c

a compensation offer under section 302A of that Act being sent,

d

a combined offer under section 302B of that Act being sent, and

e

a work order under section 302ZA of that Act being made.

8

References in this section to taking action specified in an enforcement undertaking include references to refraining from taking such action.

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<ref href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/asp/2014/3/section/27">S. 27</ref>
in force at 30.6.2014 by
<ref href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2014/160">S.S.I. 2014/160</ref>
,
<ref href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2014/160/article/2/1">art. 2(1)</ref>
<ref href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2014/160/article/2/2">(2)</ref>
,
<ref href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2014/160/schedule">Sch.</ref>
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<strong>PART 3</strong>
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<heading>ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION</heading>
<chapter eId="part-3-chapter-2" period="#period1">
<num>CHAPTER 2</num>
<heading>
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
'S POWERS OF ENFORCEMENT
</heading>
<hcontainer name="crossheading" eId="part-3-chapter-2-crossheading-enforcement-undertakings" period="#period1">
<heading>
<em>Enforcement undertakings</em>
</heading>
<section eId="section-27" period="#period1">
<num>
<noteRef href="#key-d2ba18aec0b077cef9be427b5a7ef82a" marker="I1" class="commentary I"/>
27
</num>
<heading>Enforcement undertakings</heading>
<subsection eId="section-27-1">
<num>1</num>
<intro>
<p>The Scottish Ministers may by order make provision—</p>
</intro>
<paragraph eId="section-27-1-a">
<num>a</num>
<content>
<p>
for or about enabling
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
to accept an enforcement undertaking from a person in a case where
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person has committed a relevant offence, and
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-1-b">
<num>b</num>
<content>
<p>for the acceptance of the undertaking to have the consequences in subsection (4).</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-2">
<num>2</num>
<content>
<p>For the purposes of this Chapter, an “enforcement undertaking” is an undertaking to take action of a type mentioned in subsection (3) and specified in the undertaking within such period as may be so specified.</p>
</content>
</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-3">
<num>3</num>
<intro>
<p>The types of action are—</p>
</intro>
<paragraph eId="section-27-3-a">
<num>a</num>
<content>
<p>action to secure that the offence does not continue or recur,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-3-b">
<num>b</num>
<content>
<p>action to secure that the position is, so far as possible, restored to what it would have been if the offence had not been committed,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-3-c">
<num>c</num>
<content>
<p>action of a description specified by order by the Scottish Ministers.</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-4">
<num>4</num>
<intro>
<p>
The consequences are that, unless
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
has certified under provision made in pursuance of subsection (5)(g) that the person from whom the enforcement undertaking is accepted has not complied with the undertaking or any part of it—
</p>
</intro>
<paragraph eId="section-27-4-a">
<num>a</num>
<content>
<p>no criminal proceedings may be commenced against the person from whom the enforcement undertaking is accepted in respect of an offence constituted by an act or omission if the undertaking relates to that offence constituted by that act or omission,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-4-b">
<num>b</num>
<content>
<p>
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
may not impose on the person a fixed monetary penalty which it would otherwise have power to impose by virtue of section 20 in respect of the act or omission, and
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-4-c">
<num>c</num>
<content>
<p>
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
may not impose on the person a variable monetary penalty which it would otherwise have power to impose by virtue of section 23 in respect of the act or omission.
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-5">
<num>5</num>
<intro>
<p>An order under this section may in particular include provision—</p>
</intro>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-a">
<num>a</num>
<content>
<p>as to the procedure for entering into an enforcement undertaking,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-b">
<num>b</num>
<content>
<p>as to the terms of an enforcement undertaking,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-c">
<num>c</num>
<content>
<p>
as to publication of an enforcement undertaking by
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
,
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-d">
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<p>as to variation of an enforcement undertaking,</p>
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</paragraph>
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</content>
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<num>f</num>
<content>
<p>
as to monitoring by
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
of compliance with an enforcement undertaking,
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-g">
<num>g</num>
<content>
<p>
as to certification by
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
that an enforcement undertaking or any part of it has not been complied with,
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-h">
<num>h</num>
<content>
<p>for appeals against such certification,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-i">
<num>i</num>
<content>
<p>in a case where a person has given inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information in relation to an enforcement undertaking, for that person to be regarded as not having complied with it,</p>
</content>
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<paragraph eId="section-27-5-j">
<num>j</num>
<content>
<p>in a case where a person has complied partly but not fully with an enforcement undertaking, for that partial compliance to be taken into account in the imposition of any criminal or other sanction on the person,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-5-k">
<num>k</num>
<content>
<p>
for the purpose of enabling criminal proceedings in respect of an act or omission in relation to which
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
has accepted an enforcement undertaking to be commenced against a person who has not complied with the undertaking or any part of it, for the period mentioned in subsection (6) not to be counted in calculating any period within which such proceedings must be commenced.
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-6">
<num>6</num>
<intro>
<p>The period is that beginning with the day on which the enforcement undertaking is accepted and ending with—</p>
</intro>
<paragraph eId="section-27-6-a">
<num>a</num>
<content>
<p>
the day on which
<abbr class="Acronym" title="Scottish Environment Protection Agency">SEPA</abbr>
certifies, under provision made in pursuance of subsection (5)(g), that the undertaking or any part of it has not been complied with, or
</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-6-b">
<num>b</num>
<content>
<p>where an appeal against such a certification is taken, the day on which the appeal is finally determined.</p>
</content>
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</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-7">
<num>7</num>
<intro>
<p>The reference in subsection (4)(a) to criminal proceedings being commenced is to be read as if it included a reference to—</p>
</intro>
<paragraph eId="section-27-7-a">
<num>a</num>
<content>
<p>a warning being given by the procurator fiscal,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-7-b">
<num>b</num>
<content>
<p>a conditional offer (within the meaning of section 302 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995) being sent,</p>
</content>
</paragraph>
<paragraph eId="section-27-7-c">
<num>c</num>
<content>
<p>a compensation offer under section 302A of that Act being sent,</p>
</content>
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<num>d</num>
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<p>a combined offer under section 302B of that Act being sent, and</p>
</content>
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<paragraph eId="section-27-7-e">
<num>e</num>
<content>
<p>a work order under section 302ZA of that Act being made.</p>
</content>
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</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-27-8">
<num>8</num>
<content>
<p>References in this section to taking action specified in an enforcement undertaking include references to refraining from taking such action.</p>
</content>
</subsection>
</section>
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