Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government how decisions by appropriate authorities to rely on an equivalent assessment under the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007, as amended by the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill, will be recorded, published and made available for public scrutiny.

The decision to defer under the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007 to an equivalent assessment is communicated to the applicant and the other assessment body. The decision to defer is also recorded and published on the Marine Management Organisation’s public register, enabling public scrutiny.

The BBNJ Agreement provides that public consultation is a requirement of the BBNJ EIA process so any equivalent assessment that is relied upon must also have undertaken necessary public consultation.

All licensing decisions are also placed on the Marine Management Organisation’s public register.