Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the European Communities (Designation) (No. 7) Order 2004 and shall come into force on 1st February 2005.

(2) In this Order—

“the Act” means the European Communities Act 1972;

“Minister or government department” means a Minister of the Crown or government department, but does not include a Northern Ireland Minister or Northern Ireland department; and

“regulations” means regulations made pursuant to section 2(2) of the Act.

Designation of Ministers or departments

2.—(1) For the purposes of section 2(2) of the Act, the Ministers or government departments specified in column (1) of Schedule 1 to this Order are designated in relation to the matters specified in column (2) of the Schedule.

(2) Where any Minister or government department is designated by this Order in relation to any matter, for which any other Minister or government department has been designated by this or any other Order for the purposes of section 2(2) of the Act, any of them may make regulations and, if regulations are made by more than one, they may do so jointly.

Designation of Northern Ireland departments

3.—(1) For the purposes of section 2(2) of the Act, any Northern Ireland department is designated in relation to the matters specified in Schedule 2 to this Order.

(2) Regulations made by any Northern Ireland department pursuant to this Order shall form part of the law of Northern Ireland and not of any other part of the United Kingdom.

(3) Where any Northern Ireland department is designated by this Order in relation to any matter, for which any Minister or government department is designated by this or any other Order for the purposes of section 2(2) of the Act, any of them may make regulations and, if regulations are made by more than one, they may do so jointly.

Designation of the National Assembly for Wales

4.—(1) For the purposes of section 2(2) of the Act, the National Assembly for Wales is designated in relation to the matters specified in Schedule 3 to this Order.

(2) Regulations made by the National Assembly for Wales pursuant to this Order shall apply in relation to Wales only.

(3) Where the National Assembly for Wales is designated by this Order in relation to any matter, for which any Minister or government department is designated by this or any other Order for the purposes of section 2(2) of the Act, any of them may make regulations and, if regulations are made by more than one, they may do so jointly.

Revocation of earlier designations

5.  The Orders specified in column (1) of Schedule 4 to this Order are revoked in so far as they relate to the Ministers of departments specified in column (2) and the designations specified in respect of them in column (3).

Article 2

SCHEDULE 1DESIGNATION OF MINISTERS OR DEPARTMENTS

Article 3

SCHEDULE 2MATTERS IN RELATION TO WHICH ANY NORTHERN IRELAND DEPARTMENT IS DESIGNATED

• Personal and occupational pensions.

• The energy performance of buildings.

Article 4

SCHEDULE 3MATTER IN RELATION TO WHICH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS DESIGNATED

• The quality of water intended for domestic purposes or for use in a food production undertaking.

• Regulations made by the National Assembly for Wales concerning the quality of water supplied using the supply system of a water undertaker shall apply in relation to the supply system of any water undertaker whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales. Regulations made by the National Assembly for Wales concerning water supplied other than by the supply system of a water undertaker shall apply in relation to Wales.

Article 5

SCHEDULE 4REVOCATION OF DESIGNATIONS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This is a further Order in the series designating authorities which may exercise the power to make regulations conferred by section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 and specifying the matters in relation to which that power may be exercised.