Legislation – The Marine Works and Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Temporary Modifications) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020

These Regulations make temporary modifications to the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (“the 2017 Regulations”) and the Marine Licensing (Pre-application Consultation) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (“the 2013 Regulations”). The modifications made by these Regulations are necessary as a result of coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)). These modifications alter requirements to make information or documentation available for inspection in a public place, to provide hard copies of EIA reports, and to hold public events.

Regulation 2 amends the 2013 Regulations. These amendments provide that during the relevant period and in the period of 6 weeks immediately following the end of the relevant period an online event rather than a public event is to be held as part of pre-application consultation procedures, and also makes consequential modifications.

Regulation 3 amends the 2017 Regulations. These amendments provide that during the relevant period an applicant is not required to ensure that copies of an EIA report are available for inspection at a physical location or required to provide hard copies of an EIA report to the Scottish Ministers.

The relevant period begins on 21 May 2020 and its end point is provided for by reference to section 12 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 (regulation 2).

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment in relation to these Regulations has been prepared and is available online at www.legislation.gov.uk.