A round-up of new regulations this month.
Guidance
Energy efficiency
Enter into force: 11 December 2017
England, Wales
The Department for Communities and Local Government has updated guidance on Energy Performance Certificates for the construction, sale and let of non-dwellings and dwellings.
Water pollution
Enter into force: 1 November 2017
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Guidance for Pollution Prevention (GPP4) helps owners and developers of domestic and non-domestic properties generating domestic-like wastewater who are not connected to a public foul sewer. It focusses on water treatment and disposal.
Consultations
Marine pollution
Enters into force: 15 December 2017
EU
The European Commission is seeking views on the introduction of measures to tackle marine plastic pollution, mostly from single-use items, such as bottles, cigarette buds, packets, as well as discarded or lost fishing gear.
Legislation
Marine pollution
Enters into force: 1 January 2018
England
The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (England) Regulations 2017 ban rinse-off personal care products containing microbeads to help reduce the release of plastic into the marine environment and reduce harm to marine organisms.
Emissions trading
Enters into force: 27 December 2017
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2017 change the EU Emissions Trading Scheme 2018 compliance deadlines for stationary installations and aviation operators regulated by the UK to 2019 before the UK will leave the EU.
Water environment
Enter into force: 1 January 2018
Scotland
The Water Environment (Miscellaneous) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 amend Schedule 3 to the 2011 Regulations, with new rules for storage of liquid fertilisers, sewage sludge, digestate and oil.
Ionising radiation
Enter into force: 1 January 2018
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and the Ionising Radiations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 replace the existing regime for workplaces, with new provisions for notifying work and permitted dose limits for exposure to the lens of the eye.
Packaging waste
Enter into force: 1 January 2018
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 and the Northern Ireland version update the packaging waste recycling targets for glass, plastic, aluminium, steel, paper and wood.
