Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999 (S.I. No. 360 of 1999).

These Regulations implement Community legislation on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment in so far as it relates to the effects on the environment of certain offshore oil and gas projects. Provision is made requiring the Secretary of State where he grants licences pursuant to the Petroleum Act 1998 to include in such licences requirements to obtain his consent for various activities relating to oil and gas exploration and exploitation. Provision is made requiring applications for consent to the carrying out of specified operations in relation to certain kinds of oil and gas projects to be accompanied by an environmental statement (reg. 5). Those applications are either ones which fall within certain categories or are those where the Secretary of State is not satisfied that the project will not have a significant effect on the environment. Provision is made in respect of those cases where an environmental statement is not mandatory for the Secretary of State to decide whether the project is likely to have a significant effect on the environment. Provision is made by the Regulations for the making of applications to the court by persons challenging certain decisions of the Secretary of State. Subject to certain exceptions, provision is also made for the Secretary of State to make applications to the court to seek remedies in respect of the carrying out of oil and gas projects without a consent or approval granted, or a requirement imposed, in accordance with these Regulations or in breach of conditions imposed to protect the environment (regulations 15, 16 and 17).