These Regulations provide the rules for the UK and Northern Ireland regarding the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, and provided a continuing basis for emissions from electricity generation in Northern Ireland (for the single wholesale electricity market in Ireland and Northern Ireland) to remain subject to the EU ETS, and also supported a smooth exit from the EU ETS by ensuring an appropriate legislative basis for UK operators to conclude their participation in the scheme at the end of the 2020 scheme year.
As part of leaving the EU, the UK ceased participation in the EU ETS at the end of the implementation period. Therefore, the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2012, which transposed the EU ETS Directive into UK law, required amending to ensure they provided a continuing legislative basis for the purposes explained below.
