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In those circumstances, the Cour constitutionnelle (Constitutional Court) decided to stay the proceedings and to refer the following questions to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling: ‘(1) Must Article 2(1) to (3), (6) and (7), Article 3(8), Article 5 and Article 6(1) of the Espoo Convention, and point 2 of Appendix 1 to [the Epsoo Convention], be interpreted in accordance with the explanations provided in the background note on the application of the [Espoo Convention] to nuclear-energy related activities and the good practice recommendations on the application of the [Espoo Convention] to nuclear-energy related activities? (2) May Article 1(ix) of the [Espoo Convention], which defines the “competent authority”, be interpreted as excluding from the scope of that [Convention] legislative acts such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], having regard in particular to the various assessments and hearings carried out in connection with the adoption of that law? (3) (a) Must Articles 2 to 6 of the [Espoo Convention] be interpreted as applying prior to the adoption of a legislative act such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], Article 2 of which postpones the date of deactivation and of the end of the industrial production of electricity of the Doel 1 and Doel 2 nuclear power stations? (b) Does the answer to the question in point (a) differ depending on whether it relates to the Doel 1 or the Doel 2 power station, having regard to the need, in the case of the former power station, to adopt administrative acts implementing the abovementioned Law of 28 June 2015? (c) May the security of the country’s electricity supply constitute an overriding reason of public interest permitting a derogation from the application of Articles 2 to 6 of the [Espoo Convention] and/or suspension of the application of those provisions? (4) Must Article 2(2) of the [Aarhus Convention] be interpreted as excluding from the scope of that [Convention] legislative acts such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], irrespective of whether the various assessments and hearings carried out in connection with the adoption of that law are taken into account? (5) (a) Having regard in particular to the Maastricht Recommendations on Promoting Effective Public Participation in Decision-making in Environmental Matters with respect to multi-stage decision-making, must Articles 2 and 6 of the [Aarhus Convention], in conjunction with Annex I.1 to that [Convention], be interpreted as applying prior to the adoption of a legislative act such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], Article 2 of which postpones the date of deactivation and of the end of the industrial production of electricity of the Doel 1 and Doel 2 nuclear power stations? (b) Does the answer to the question in point (a) differ depending on whether it relates to the Doel 1 or the Doel 2 power station, having regard to the need, in the case of the former power station, to adopt administrative acts implementing the abovementioned Law of 28 June 2015? (c) May the security of the country’s electricity supply constitute an overriding ground of public interest permitting derogation from the application of Articles 2 and 6 of the [Aarhus Convention] and/or suspension of the application of those provisions? (6) (a) Must Article 1(2) of the [EIA] Directive, in conjunction with point 13(a) of Annex II to that directive, read, where appropriate, in the light of the Espoo and Aarhus [Conventions], be interpreted as applying to the postponement of the date of deactivation and of the end of the industrial production of electricity of a nuclear power station, entailing, as in this instance, significant investment and security upgrades for the Doel 1 and 2 nuclear power stations? (b) If the answer to the question in point (a) is in the affirmative, must Articles 2 to 8 and 11 of the [EIA] Directive and Annexes I, II and III to that directive be interpreted as applying prior to the adoption of a legislative act such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], Article 2 of which postpones the date of deactivation and the end of the industrial production of electricity of the Doel 1 and Doel 2 nuclear power stations? (c) Does the answer to the questions in points (a) and (b) differ depending on whether it relates to the Doel 1 or the Doel 2 power station, having regard to the need, in the case of the former power station, to adopt administrative acts implementing the abovementioned Law of 28 June 2015? (d) If the answer to the question set out in point (a) is in the affirmative, must Article 2(4) of the [EIA] Directive be interpreted as permitting an exemption for the postponement of the deactivation of a nuclear power station from the application of Articles 2 to 8 and 11 of the [EIA] Directive for overriding reasons in the public interest linked with the security of the country’s electricity supply? (7) Must the concept of “specific act of legislation” within the meaning of Article 1(4) of the [EIA] Directive be interpreted as excluding from the scope of that directive a legislative act such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], having regard to the various assessments and hearings carried out in connection with the adoption of that law, which might attain the objectives of that directive? (8) (a) Must Article 6 of the [Habitats] Directive, in conjunction with Articles 3 and 4 of the [Birds] Directive, read, where appropriate, in the light of the [EIA] Directive and the Espoo and Aarhus [Conventions], be interpreted as applying to the postponement of the date of deactivation and of the end of the industrial production of electricity of a nuclear power station, entailing, as in this instance, significant investments and security upgrades for the Doel 1 and Doel 2 nuclear power stations? (b) If the answer to the question in point (a) is in the affirmative, must Article 6(3) of the [Habitats] Directive be interpreted as applying prior to the adoption of a legislative act such as the [Law of 28 June 2015], Article 2 of which postpones the date of deactivation and of the end of the industrial production of electricity of the Doel 1 and Doel 2 nuclear power stations? (c) Does the answer to the questions in points (a) and (b) differ depending on whether it relates to the Doel 1 or the Doel 2 power station, having regard to the need, in the case of the former power station, to adopt administrative acts implementing the abovementioned Law of 28 June 2015? (d) If the answer to the question in point (a) is in the affirmative, must Article 6(4) of the [Habitats] Directive be interpreted as allowing grounds linked with the security of the country’s electricity supply to be considered an imperative reason of overriding public interest, having regard in particular to the various assessments and hearings carried out in the context of the adoption of the abovementioned Law of 28 June 2015, which might be capable of attaining the objectives of that directive? (9) If, on the basis of the answers to the preceding questions, the national court should conclude that the Law [of 28 June 2015] fails to fulfil one of the obligations arising under the abovementioned Conventions or directives, and the security of the country’s electricity supply cannot constitute an imperative reason of overriding public interest permitting a derogation from those obligations, might the national court maintain the effects of the Law of 28 June 2015 in order to avoid legal uncertainty and to allow the environmental impact assessment and public participation obligations arising under those Conventions or directives to be fulfilled?’