S.L. 549.167 Art. 2Interpretation.

(1) Unless otherwise stated in these regulations, the definitions in the Act shall apply.

(2) In these regulations unless the context otherwise requires: "the Act" means the Environment Protection Act;

"the competent authority" means the Energy and Water Agency established by the Energy and Water Agency (Establishment as an Agency) Order; "flood" means the temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water. This includes floods from rivers, mountain torrents, Mediterranean ephemeral water courses, and floods from the sea in coastal areas, and excludes floods from sewerage systems; "flood risk" means the combination of the probability of a flood event and of the potential adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity associated with a flood event; "river" means a body of inland water flowing for the most part on the surface of the land but which may flow underground for part of its course; "sub-catchment" means the area of land from which all surface run-off flows through a series of streams, rivers and, possibly, lakes to a particular point in a water course (normally a lake or a river confluence); "water catchment" means the area of land from which all surface run-off flows through a sequence of streams, rivers and, possibly, lakes into the sea at a single river mouth, estuary or delta; "water catchment district" means the area of land and sea, made up of one or more neighbouring water catchments together with their associated groundwaters and coastal waters.

(3) For the purposes of these regulations, any reference to Directives of the European Parliament and of the Council, shall be read and construed as if reference is made to the provisions of the regulations transposing the provisions of such directive into Maltese law.