Notice is hereby given that the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, made on 9th December 2003 a Statutory Rule entitled:- Fair Employment and Treatment Order (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.

The Regulations, which come into operation on 10th December 2003, implement in Northern Ireland the religion or belief provisions of the European Employment “Framework” Directive (Council Directive 2000/78/EC). The Regulations amend the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 to insert new definitions of indirect discrimination and harassment, to prohibit discrimination or harassment by the trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes, to make it unlawful to discriminate against or harass certain types of office holder, to extend protection from discrimination or harassment to certain acts committed after the employment relationship has ended, to alter the burden of proof in proceedings regarding employment and training matters and to remove certain exceptions which are contrary to the Directive.

Copies of the Regulations may be purchased from the Stationery Office Bookshop. 16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GD.