Introductory text

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, being a Department designated^f1 for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972^f2, in relation to the common agriculture policy of the European Union.

The Department makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(2) of and paragraph 1A of Schedule 2 to the European Communities Act 1972 and section 56(1) and (2) of the Finance Act 1973.

These Regulations make provision for a purpose mentioned in section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 and it appears to the Department that it is expedient for references in these Regulations to an EU instrument or to any provision of an EU instrument to be construed as a reference to that instrument or that provision as amended from time to time.C1