The Act – Section by Section Part 1 – Protection of the water environment Section 5 – Characterisation of river basin districts
28.Subsection (1), as read with subsection (2), requires SEPA to carry out, by 22 December 2004, an environmental and economic characterisation of all the river basin districts identified under section 4. Subsection (3) requires SEPA to review this characterisation by 22 December 2013 and every 6 years thereafter.
29.Subsection (4) requires SEPA to carry out any such characterisations and reviews in accordance with technical specifications in the Directive. These are specifications on the classification of bodies of water in river basin districts and how their status is to be determined and monitored.
30.Subsection (5) enables the Scottish Ministers to make more detailed provision, by regulations, as to the methods and procedures and criteria by reference to which the characterisations and reviews are to be carried out.
31.This section will enable the Scottish Ministers to implement Article 5 of the Directive.