Explanatory note

Regulation 2 of these Regulations extends section 140 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by enabling the Secretary of State to make regulations prohibiting or restricting the holding of specified substances or articles.

The modification is to enable the implementation of Council Directive 96/59/EC on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT)^f1 and to give effect to the obligation imposed under PARCOM Decision 92/3 (Ministerial Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions of 21–22 September 1992) on the phasing out of PCBs and hazardous PCB substitutes.