Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1986 (“the 1986 Regulations”).

Amongst the provisions which Schedule 1 to the 1986 Regulations applies, with modifications, for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections in Northern Ireland are the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983. These rules were amended by Schedule 2 to the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 to make fresh provision about the use of a description resembling the name of a political party registered under that Act and the inclusion of a registered emblem of such a party against a candidate’s name on the ballot paper. Paragraphs (12), (15) and (16) of regulation 6 of, and the Schedule to, these Regulations take account of those amendments and provide a new form of ballot paper.

Regulations 3, 4 and 7 and paragraphs (6), (8), (10), (13) and (14) of regulation 6 reflects changes of terminology and other amendments made by the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999.

The provision made in respect of by-elections in regulation 5 is consequential on the replacement of the existing provision in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 by an amendment in the 1999 Act which delegated provision about by-elections to subordinate legislation.

Of the other amendments made by these Regulations, there is an increase from £5 to £5,000 in the amount that a person not authorised by the election agent of a candidate can spend in promoting or procuring the election of a candidate. This change is made by regulation 6(4) and is intended to bring the law into line with a decision of the European Court of Human Rights. The limits on a candidate’s election expenses are increased by regulation 6(5).