Defences
21.—(1) In any proceedings for an offence under these Regulations it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that —
(a)the water was bottled and marked or bottled and labelled before these Regulations came into operation; and
(b)under the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, no offence would have been committed by him.
(2) In any proceedings for an offence under these Regulations where it is alleged that water does not meet the requirements in paragraph 1(c) of Part 1 of Schedule 2, it shall be a defence for the person accused to prove that—
(a)the water in question was bottled or sold in an EEA State other than the United Kingdom; and
(b)the water complied with the law in that EEA State when it was bottled or sold.