The Department of the Environment is a designated M1 Department for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 M2 (“the 1972 Act”) in relation to the prevention and limitation of the effects of accidents involving dangerous substances.

The Department of the Environment makes the following Regulations, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 2(2) and paragraph 1A of Schedule 2 to the 1972 Act and by sections 8(5)(c), 9(6)(c), 108(4) and (5), 109(1), (2) and (4), 111, 115(7), 116(3), 162(4), (10) and (12), 223 and 247(1) of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 M3.

These Regulations make provision for a purpose mentioned in section 2(2) of the 1972 Act and it appears to the Department that it is expedient for the references in these Regulations to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures M4, to be construed as references to that instrument as amended from time to time.