Schedule 2: Improving the natural environment: Northern Ireland Part 2: Policy statement on environmental principles Policy statement on environmental principles: process
Paragraph 7 establishes the process by which the Department will develop and publish the environmental principles policy statement.
	Sub-paragraph (1) requires the Department to prepare a draft policy statement on environmental principles. This will be an initial version of the statement before public and Northern Ireland Assembly ("the Assembly") scrutiny.
	Sub-paragraph (2) requires the Department to undertake a public consultation on the draft policy statement. In particular, the Department is required to consult the other Northern Ireland departments and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	Sub-paragraph (3) requires the draft to be laid before the Assembly for its consideration. This must take place before the policy statement is finalised.
	Sub-paragraph (4) sets out provisions for cases where the Assembly chooses to respond to the draft policy statement by passing a resolution in respect of the draft. The Assembly has a period of 21 sitting days after the draft statement has been laid to pass a resolution if it deems this necessary. The Department is required to lay a response to any resolution passed by the Assembly.
	Sub-paragraphs (5) to (7) require the final environmental policy statement to be laid before the Assembly and published. If a response is required under sub-paragraph (4), the Department must not lay and publish the final statement before laying this response. Otherwise, the Department must not lay and publish the final statement before a period of 21 sitting days has passed since the draft statement was laid. This is intended to allow the Assembly sufficient time to scrutinise the draft policy statement. The final statement comes into effect when it is laid before the Assembly.
	Sub-paragraph (8) provides a definition for the term "21 day period".
	Sub-paragraph (9) details what a sitting day is in this context.
	Sub-paragraph (10) enables the requirements in subsections (1) and (2) as to preparation of the statement and consultation to be met prior to the coming into force of the relevant provisions of the Act.
	Sub-paragraph (11) allows the Department to revise the policy statement at any time, and requires the process set out in sub-paragraphs (1) to (9) to be followed each time that the policy statement is revised.