Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 (Modification of Part 1) Regulations 2015 and come into force on 14th September 2015.

(2) In these Regulations-

"related right", in relation to an EU obligation, includes any derogation or other right to make more onerous provisions available in respect of that obligation; and

"relevant EU obligations" means EU obligations of the United Kingdom in connection with-

Modification of Part 1

2.  For the purpose of giving effect to relevant EU obligations or of exercising any related right, the provisions of Part 1 (protection of the water environment) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003(12) have effect with the following modifications-

(a)after section 1(1) (general purpose of Part 1) insert-

"(1A) The reference in subsection (1) to Directive 2000/60/EC is to that Directive as amended by-

(a)Decision No 2455/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,

(b)Directive 2008/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,

(c)Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,

(d)Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,

(e)Directive 2013/39/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and

(f)Commission Directive 2014/101/EU."; and

(b)in section 2 (the general duties)-

(i)in subsections (1) and (2), after "Directive" insert ", the Groundwater Directive and the Priority Substances Directive"; and

(ii)in subsection (8), before the definition of "the relevant enactments" insert-

""the Groundwater Directive" means Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration(13),

"the Priority Substances Directive" means Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy(14),".

Revocation

3.  Regulations 2 and 3 of the Water Environment (Groundwater and Priority Substances) (Scotland) Regulations 2009(15) are revoked.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations provide that the provisions of Part 1 of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 ("the Act") have effect with certain modifications. In particular, regulation 2 modifies:

• section 1 of the Act so that references to "the Directive" in Part 1 have effect as references to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, as last amended by Commission Directive 2014/101/EU; and

• section 2(1) and (2) of the Act so that the Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the responsible authorities must also exercise various functions so as to secure compliance with the Groundwater Directive (as amended by Commission Directive 2014/80/EU) and the Priority Substances Directive (as amended by Directive 2013/39/EU).

Accordingly, these Regulations contain provisions necessary to comply with:

• Decision No 2455/2001/EC, Directive 2008/32/EC, Directive 2008/105/EC, Directive 2009/31/EC, Directive 2013/39/EU and Commission Directive 2014/101/EU;

• Directive 2006/118/EC (as amended by Commission Directive 2014/80/EU); and

• Directive 2008/105/EC (as amended by Directive 2013/39/EU).

Regulation 3 revokes provisions of the Water Environment (Groundwater and Priority Substances) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 which are superseded by virtue of regulation 2.