CHAPTER 6U.K.GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 23U.K.Competent authority
Member States shall establish or designate the competent authority or authorities responsible for fulfilling the duties established under this Directive. Where more than one competent authority is designated, Member States shall establish arrangements for the coordination of the work of those authorities undertaken pursuant to this Directive.
Article 24U.K.Transboundary cooperation
In cases of transboundary transport of CO2, transboundary storage sites or transboundary storage complexes, the competent authorities of the Member States concerned shall jointly meet the requirements of this Directive and of other relevant Community legislation.
Article 25U.K.Registers
1.The competent authority shall establish and maintain:
(a)a register of the storage permits granted; and
(b)a permanent register of all closed storage sites and surrounding storage complexes, including maps and sections of their spatial extent and available information relevant for assessing that the stored CO2 will be completely and permanently contained.
2.The registers referred to in paragraph 1 shall be taken into consideration by the competent national authorities in relevant planning procedures and when permitting any activity that could affect or be affected by the geological storage of CO2 in the registered storage sites.
Article 26U.K.Information to the public
Member States shall make available to the public environmental information relating to the geological storage of CO2 in accordance with the applicable Community legislation.
Article 27U.K.Reporting by Member States
1.Every three years the Member States shall submit to the Commission a report on the implementation of this Directive, including the register referred to in Article 25(1)(b). The first report shall be sent to the Commission by 30 June 2011. The report shall be drawn up on the basis of a questionnaire or outline drafted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6 of Directive 91/692/EEC. The questionnaire or outline shall be sent to Member States at least six months before the deadline for the submission of the report.
2.The Commission shall organise an exchange of information between the competent authorities of the Member States concerning the implementation of this Directive.
Article 28U.K.Penalties
The Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. The Member States shall notify those provisions to the Commission by 25 June 2011 and shall notify it without delay of any subsequent amendment affecting them.
Article 29U.K.Amendments of Annexes
Measures may be adopted to amend the Annexes. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 30(2).
Article 30U.K.Committee procedure
1.The Commission shall be assisted by the Climate Change Committee.
2.Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.