Multi-level governance - a study of the implementation of environmental law in post-devolution Scotland

A discussion on the tension between the need to legislate Scotland and the need to make United Kingdom comply with Community law is presented with an examination on which level of government are responsible for implementing the Community environmental law and the preferred legislative forms. The effect of these legislative choices on the timing of implementation was investigated as well as the competences set out in the Scotland Act 1998 and the legislation scrutiny. The AHRC-funded project examined the means used by Scotland, England and Wales to implement all Community legislation. It has been shown that there was little difference in timing between the transposition of Community environmental legislation in England and Scotland.