DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT and DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have made a Statutory Rule entitled The Protection of Water Against Agricultural Nitrate Pollution (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 (S.R 2005 No.306).

The Rule comes into operation on 25 July 2005.

The Rule is made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972.

These Regulations make provision for implementing, in part, Article 2 of Directive 2003/351EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment (O.J. No. L156, 25.6.2003, p. 17). The programmes to which the Article applies include action programmes in relation to nitrate vulnerable zones designated under council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (O.J. No. 1,375, 31.12,1, p, 1).

Copies of the Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast, BTI 4GD.