The Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Responsibility for implementation of the Air Framework Directive

3.  For the purposes of Article 3 (implementation and responsibilities) of Council Directive 96/62/EC on ambient air quality assessment and management ‘the Air Framework Directive’,

(a) the Department of the Environment shall be the competent authority responsible for—

(i) assessment of ambient air quality;

(ii) approval of measuring devices (methods, equipment, networks and laboratories);

(iii) ensuring accuracy of measurement by measuring devices and checking the maintenance of such accuracy by those devices, in particular by internal quality controls carried out in accordance with applicable quality assurance standards, including European standards;

(iv) analysis of assessment methods; and

(v) co-ordination within Northern Ireland of European Community-wide quality assurance programmes organised by the European Commission, save in so far as that co-ordination entails communication with European Commission;

(b) where a Northern Ireland department has functions relevant to the assessment and maintenance of ambient air quality, it shall exercise those functions so as to secure compliance with the requirements of the Air Framework Directive.