The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 were laid on 27 November and withdrawn on 9 December, at the request of the Committee, to allow further time for scrutiny. The Regulations were re-laid on 27 February 2025. Supporting documents are provided below. 

The purpose of the Regulations is to amend The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 to support the regulation of industrial and other emissions activities, waste activities, and water activities by SEPA.

SEPA regulate activities in Scotland under four main environmental regimes:

• water
• waste
• radioactive substances and
• pollution prevention and control.

The 2025 Regulations will bring these regimes under a single ‘Integrated Authorisation Framework.

The 2025 Regulations also bring ‘new activities’ into this common framework, which will change the way that a number of activities are regulated. These new activities are applying sewage sludge to land; carbon capture; non-waste anaerobic digestion; and certain electricity generators.

The 2025 Regulations also make a number of changes to the common framework provided by the 2018 Regulations, such as changes to public participation and engagement under the framework.

Instrument and supporting documents:

Instrument

Policy Note

Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) Screening

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA)

Fairer Scotland Duty Impact Assessment Screening

Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) Screening

Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment

Committee consideration

Due to the length and complexity of the regulations, the Committee agreed, at its meeting on 3 December, to write to the Scottish Government; Environmental Standards Scotland; the Environmental Rights Centre Scotland; National Farmers Union Scotland; Scottish Water; Zero Waste Scotland and Local Authorities to gather further information. The Committee also received correspondence from the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association, Grissan Renewables and the Scotch Whisky Association. 

All correspondence relating to this instrument is available below.

The Committee took evidence from SEPA on Regulations on 17 December. Details of the meeting are provided below.

The Committee will take evidence from the Scottish Government on the Regulations on 25 March, before making its recommendation to parliament on whether the instrument should be agreed.