Schedule 7: Resource efficiency requirements Part 1: Requirements Consultation etc requirements
Paragraph 5 sets out the steps the relevant national authority must follow, and matters of which the authority must be satisfied, before making product-specific regulations under Part 1 of this Schedule.
	Sub-paragraph (1) requires the relevant national authority to consult such persons as the authority considers appropriate, and to publish for the purposes of the consultation an assessment of the matters of which it is required to be satisfied before making regulations, and a draft of the regulations. The consultation requirement in paragraph 5 of Schedule 7 may be met by a consultation before paragraph 5 comes into force.
	Under sub-paragraphs (3) to (5), those matters are:
that the product has a significant impact on the natural environment (if there are no existing regulations under Part 1 of this Schedule applying to the product);
that the regulations would be likely to reduce that impact (in all cases);
that the benefits would be significant as against the likely costs of the regulations; and
that a reduction in the product’s environmental impact could not be achieved as effectively by other means.
	Sub-paragraph (6) sets out that the relevant national authority must also consider whether exemptions should be given or other special provision made for smaller businesses. "Smaller businesses" is not defined in the Schedule, so that there is flexibility for regulations relating to different products to apply exemptions or special provisions to different descriptions of smaller businesses. The need for exemptions or special provisions, and the businesses to which they should apply, will be considered as part of the impact analysis.