Citation

1.  This Order may be cited as the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2004(2).

Commencement of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the relevant purposes

2.—(1) The provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 specified in paragraph (2), in so far as these provisions are not already in force for the relevant purposes, shall come into force for the relevant purposes on 1st January 2005.

(2) The provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 referred to in paragraph (1) are—

(a)section 15(4) and (5);

(b)section 48;

(c)Part IV and Schedule 3;

(d)Part V and Schedule 4;

(e)section 62;

(f)Part VII and Schedule 6; and

(g)section 77.

(3) In this article—

(a)“the relevant purposes” means—

(i)the purpose of implementing Article 4 of the Aarhus Convention, together with Articles 3 and 9 of the Convention so far as relating to that Article (or any amendment of those provisions made in accordance with Article 14 of the Convention), including any purposes arising out of or related to that purpose; and

(ii)the purpose of implementing the Environmental Information Directive, including any purposes arising out of or related to that purpose;

(b)“the Environmental Information Directive” means Council Directive 2003/4/EC(3) on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC; and

(c)“the Aarhus Convention” means the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters signed at Aarhus on 25th June 1998(4).

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force on 1st January 2005 the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 specified in article 2(2) of the Order for the relevant purposes, in so far as these provisions are not already in force for those purposes.

The relevant purposes are the purposes of—

• implementing Article 4 of the Aarhus Convention, together with Articles 3 and 9 of the Convention so far as relating to that Article (or any amendment of those provisions made in accordance with Article 14 of the Convention), including any purposes arising out of or related to that purpose; and

• implementing the Environmental Information Directive, including any purposes arising out of or related to that purpose; and

The Aarhus Convention is the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters signed at Aarhus on 25th June 1998 (the text of which can be found at http://www.unece.org/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf.). The Environmental Information Directive is Council Directive 2003/4/EC (OJ No. L 41, 14.2.2003, p. 26) on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC).

Note as to Earlier Commencement Orders

(This note is not part of the Order)