The Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

[F1 39B.   If the Authority gives, or refuses to give, an exemption in accordance with Article 39A, it must send the following to the European Commission as soon as is reasonably practicable—

(a) if the exemption was given, a copy of the exemption and of the terms on which it was given;

(b) the Authority's reason for giving the exemption or not giving it, which must address each of the matters listed in Article 36(1) of the Directive;

(c) any supporting information held by the Authority which is relevant to the application for an exemption, including in particular any—

(i) relevant financial information; and

(ii) analysis of the likely effects of the exemption on competition and on the effective functioning of the market for natural gas in Northern Ireland;

(d) if the exemption was given, the basis on which the Authority determined—

(i) the period of the exemption or how that period is to be determined; and

(ii) the capacity to which the exemption relates;

(e) any contribution by the pipeline or facility to the diversification of the supply of gas; and

(f) any other information requested by the European Commission.

(2) If, in accordance with Article 36(9) of the Directive, the European Commission requires the Authority to revoke an exemption given in accordance with Article 39A, or to modify the terms on which it is given, the Authority must—

(a) comply with that request within the period of one month beginning with the date on which it receives the request; and

(b) inform the European Commission when it has done so.

(3) The Authority must revoke an exemption given in accordance with Article 39A in respect of a pipeline or facility—

(a) if its construction or, as the case may be, the making of the modification to which the exemption relates has not been started within the 2 years beginning with the relevant date; or

(b) if it, or (as the case may be) the modification to which the exemption relates, is not operational within 5 years beginning on the relevant date.

(4) In paragraph (3) “relevant date” means—

(a) if the European Commission notified the Authority that it approved the exemption and terms as copied to it under paragraph (1), the date of that notification;

(b) if, in accordance with Article 36(9) of the Directive, the European Commission required the Authority to modify the terms, the date of that requirement; or

(c) otherwise the date 4 months after the Authority sent the Commission a copy of the exemption and terms under paragraph (1).

(5) The Authority may, at any other time, revoke an exemption given in accordance with Article 39A or modify the terms on which such an exemption is given, in respect of a pipeline, facility or modification—

(a) in accordance with the provisions of the exemption; or

(b) by giving the owner of the pipeline or facility in question a notice of a revocation at least 4 months before the revocation takes effect.]

F1 Arts. 39A 39B inserted (12.4.2013) by Gas and Electricity (Internal Markets) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/92), reg. 30(1)