The regulations are made under the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003. The regulations provide the mechanism by which many of the programmes of measures required by the Water Framework Directive will be taken.

These regulations require that from the 1st April 2006 a CAR authorisation is required for

• Discharges to all surface waters and groundwaters (replacing the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and Groundwater Regulations 1998)
  
  
• Abstractions from all surface waters and groundwaters
  
  
• Impoundments (dams and weirs) of rivers, lochs, wetlands and transitional waters
  
  
• Engineering works in inland waters
  
  

The regulations requires that the Groundwater Directive be complied with.

CAR allows for proportionate and risk-based regulation, providing three different types of authorisation. These are:

• General Binding Rules
  
• Registration
  
• Licence

For further information on CAR click here.