Why it is waiting for a new European Directive before bringing forward revised legislation to take account of public opinion in relation to…

The present regulatory framework at both European and UK level is governed by the European Council Directive 90/220/EEC. Based on a scientific assessment of risk, the Directive does not enable wider socio-economic arguments and public opinion to be considered as part of the overall decision-making process.I fully expect that the revised Directive will be published in the Official Journal within the next few days. Thereafter, member states will have 18 months in which to implement the provisions into national legislation. The Scottish Executive will consult widely on the content of any new legislation. Until this is in place it would be illegal to act in contravention of existing European and UK law.