The Environment Act Implementation

This heading refers to 3 elements of the Act:

1. establishment of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP);
2. publication of a policy statement on environmental principles; and
3. annual reporting on implementation of the Environmental Improvement Plan.

Type of Change

Statutory

Affected Stakeholders

• General Public
• DAERA and other NI departments
• UK Government ministers
• Public authorities

Changes

1. New environmental oversight body that holds government and other public authorities to account for the proper implementation of environmental law.
2. Embedding 5 environmental principles in domestic law through a policy statement to which NI departments and UK Government ministers making policy for NI must have ‘due regard’.
3. Reporting on progress towards delivery of an Environmental Improvement Plan.

Status

1. The OEP has been operating in NI since February 2022.  DAERA liaises closely with the OEP across a wide range of issues.
2. The EPPS has received Executive approval and the 21 day scrutiny period ended on 2 March 2026, meaning the EPPS will come into effect on 2 September 2026. 
3. EIP APR was laid and published on 26 January 2026, the OEP have 6 months to review this document and reply with their own report, the recommendations of which, will be considered in the second APR due in January 2027.

Expected Timeline

1. Ongoing.
2. Now completed and will come into effect on 2 September 2026, Implementation toolkit is being developed to help staff with this.
3. First annual report laid and published on January 2026.