# The Environmental Regulation (Significant Environmental Harm) (Scotland) Order 2014

S.S.I. 2014/324 · made 19 November 2014 · revised to 10 October 2026

This Order specifies enactments under section 40(6)(c) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (“the Act”).

Made under: Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Section 40)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/environmental-regulation-significant-environmental-harm-scotland-order-2014/pdf/ssi_20140324_en.pdf; Policy Note https://openlegislation.uk/environmental-regulation-significant-environmental-harm-scotland-order-2014/pdf/ssipn_20140324_en.pdf

## Introductory text

Environmental Protection
Made 19th November 2014
Laid before the Scottish Parliament 21st November 2014
Coming into force 31st December 2014
The Scottish Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 40(6)(c) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and all other powers enabling them to do so.

## 1 Citation and commencement

This Order may be cited as the Environmental Regulation (Significant Environmental Harm) (Scotland) Order 2014 and comes into force on 31st December 2014.

## 2 Specified enactments

The enactments specified in the Schedule are specified for the purposes of section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

## Signature

PAUL WHEELHOUSE
Authorised to sign by Scottish Ministers
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
19th November 2014

## Schedule: Specified enactments

## 1 

Sections 24 and 26A of the Hill Farming Act 1946 (muirburn).

## 2 

Section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (power to grant licences).

## 2A 

Part 2 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

## 3 

The Nuclear Installations Act 1965.

## 4 

Part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (deposits in the sea).

## 5 

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## 6 

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## 7 

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## 8 

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## 9 

The Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002.

## 10 

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## 11 

The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005.

## 12 

The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2020.

## 12a 

The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships) Regulations 2020.

## 13 

Part IV of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (marine licensing).

## 14 

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## 15 

The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.

## 16 

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## 17 

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## 18 

The Offshore Combustion Installations (Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2013.

## 19 

The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018.

## 20 

The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 2019.

## Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order specifies enactments under section 40(6)(c) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (“the Act”).
Section 40(1) of the Act creates offences relating to causing significant environmental harm. Section 40(6) of the Act provides the Scottish Ministers with a power to specify enactments for the purposes of a defence to section 40(1).
The effect of this Order is that it will be a defence for a person charged with an offence under section 40(1) of the Act to show that the acts or failures alleged to constitute the offence were authorised by, or otherwise carried out in accordance with, an enactment specified in the Schedule to this Order. The enactments in the Schedule cover a range of environmental authorisations, registrations, permits or exemptions with which a person may be able to show compliance. These include:
Landfill permits
Offshore chemical permits
Discharge permits
Part A and Part B pollution prevention and control permits
Waste management licences
Registrations relating to use of radioactive material and mobile radioactive apparatus
Authorisations of disposal and accumulation of radioactive waste
Exemptions under the Radioactive Substances Exemptions (Scotland) Order 2011
Waste management exemptions under regulation 17 of the Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011
Authorisations under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, including the general binding rules.
Licences for deposits in the sea
Nuclear site licences
Discharges in compliance with the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 1996 and Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2008
Species licences under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Muirburn licences

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2014/324 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/environmental-regulation-significant-environmental-harm-scotland-order-2014
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.