The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

References under Article 21: time limits

22.—(1) Every reference under Article 21 shall specify a period (not longer than 6 months beginning with the date of the reference) within which a report on the reference is to be made.

(2) A report of the Competition Commission on a reference under Article 21 shall not have effect (and no action shall be taken in relation to it under Article 25) unless the report is made before the end of the period specified in the reference or such further period (if any) as may be allowed by the Authority under paragraph (3).

(3) The Authority may, if it has received representations on the subject from the Competition Commission and is satisfied that there are special reasons why the report cannot be made within the period specified in the reference, extend that period by no more than 6 months.

(4) No more than one extension is possible under paragraph (3) in relation to the same reference.

(5) The Authority shall, in the case of an extension made by it under paragraph (3)—

(a) publish that extension in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing it to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it; and

(b) send a copy of what has been published by the Authority under sub-paragraph (a) to the company whose appointment is mentioned in the reference.