Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland
2004 No. 419
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
WATER AND SEWERAGE
The Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004
Made
1st October 2004
Coming into operation
29th October 2004
The Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, being departments designated(1) for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972(2) in relation to measures relating to the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution of water, acting jointly in exercise of the powers conferred upon them by that section and of every other power enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Regulations:
Citation and commencementN.I.
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 and shall come into operation on 29th October 2004.
Commencement Information
I1Reg. 1 in operation at 29.10.2004, see reg. 1
InterpretationN.I.
2.—(1) In these Regulations –
[F1“Action Programme” means measures regarding the protection of water against pollution caused by nutrients from agricultural sources as set out in the Nitrates Action Programme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 No commentary item could be found for this reference c23534271;]
“the Departments” means the Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development acting jointly;
“Northern Ireland” has the same meaning as in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47);
“Regulations” means Regulations made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 (c. 68).
(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(3) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in reg. 2(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Water (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/112), regs. 1(1), 4; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Commencement Information
I2Reg. 2 in operation at 29.10.2004, see reg. 1
Action Programme throughout territory of Northern IrelandN.I.
3. The Departments shall by Regulations establish and apply an Action Programme throughout the territory of Northern Ireland.
Commencement Information
I3Reg. 3 in operation at 29.10.2004, see reg. 1
TransitionalN.I.
4.—(1) The statutory provisions referred to in paragraph (2) shall continue in operation unless and until the Departments by Regulations establish and apply an Action Programme throughout the territory of Northern Ireland.
(2) The statutory provisions referred to in paragraph (1) are the following, namely –
(a)The Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003(4); and
(b)Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999(5).
Commencement Information
I4Reg. 4 in operation at 29.10.2004, see reg. 1
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 1st October 2004.
L.S.
David Small
A senior officer of the
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment on 1st October 2004.
L.S.
Judena Goldring
A senior officer of the
Department of the Environment
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations give further effect to Council Directive 91/676/EEC (the Nitrates Directive) concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources.
Regulation 3 establishes the territory of Northern Ireland as the area to which an Action Programme will be applied.
Regulation 4 is a transitional measure and provides for the continuation of the existing Action Programme and the seven existing Nitrate Vulnerable Zones pending the application of an Action Programme to the territory of Northern Ireland.