(1)The Department of the Environment must have a strategy for reducing—
(a)the amount of biodegradable waste from Northern Ireland that goes to landfills, and
(b)the amount of biodegradable waste from outside Northern Ireland that goes to landfills in Northern Ireland.
(2)The strategy required by subsection (1) must (in particular) include measures to achieve the targets specified for Northern Ireland under sections 1 and 2.
(3)The measures mentioned in subsection (2) include (in particular) measures to achieve the targets by means of recycling, composting, biogas production, materials recovery or energy recovery.
(4)Before formulating policy for the purposes of subsection (1), the Department must—
(a)consult the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers and the National Assembly for Wales,
(b)consult such bodies or persons appearing to it to be representative of the interests of local government as it considers appropriate,
(c)consult such bodies or persons appearing to it to be representative of the interests of industry as it considers appropriate, and
(d)carry out such public consultation as it considers appropriate.
(5)The Department must set out in a statement any policy formulated for the purposes of subsection (1).
(6)The Department must, as soon as a statement is prepared for the purposes of subsection (5), send a copy of it to—
(a)the Secretary of State,
(b)the Scottish Ministers, and
(c)the National Assembly for Wales.
(7)Where subsection (1) is satisfied by policies set out in a statement prepared before the coming into force of that subsection, it does not matter that the policies were not formulated for the purposes of that subsection.
(8)Subsection (4) may be satisfied by consultation before, as well as by consultation after, the coming into force of this section.
Commencement Information
I1S. 20 in force at 17.9.2004 by S.R. 2004/399, art. 2(2)