S.I. No. 343/1991:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (TRANSIT OF NATURAL GAS) REGULATIONS, 1991.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (TRANSIT OF NATURAL GAS) REGULATIONS, 1991.

I, ROBERT MOLLOY, T.D., Minister for Energy, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive No. 9½96/EEC of 31 May, 1991,⁽¹⁾ hereby make the following Regulations.

⁽¹⁾O.J. No. L. 147/37, 1991.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Transit of Natural Gas) Regulations, 1991.

2. (1) In these Regulations--

"Council Directive" means Council Directive No. 9½96/EEC of 31 May, 1991.

"Commission" means the Commission of the European Communities.

"Minister" means the Minister for Energy.

(2) A word of expression used in these Regulations and in the Council Directive shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the same meaning in these Regulations that it has in the Council Directive.

3. Contracts involving the transit of natural gas shall be negotiated in accordance with the provisions of the Council Directive.

4. Bord Gais Éireann shall--

( a ) notify the Commission and the Minister of any request for transit;

( b ) open negotiation on the conditions of the natural gas transit requested;

( c ) inform the Commission and the Minister of the conclusion of a transit contract;

( d ) in the event of failure to conclude a contract within 12 months following communication of the request, inform the Commission and the Minister of the reasons for the failure.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 17th day of December, 1991.

ROBERT MOLLOY

Minister for Energy.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Regulation gives effect to the terms of EC Directive No. 9½96/EEC of 31 May 1991 providing for the transit of natural gas between high pressure transmission grids of the European Communities.