Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and Council became law on 28 December 2008. The directive requires all licensing and registration authorities to set out timescales within which applications for business licences and registrations must be processed. Where the authority fails to meet a timescale, the licence or registration is deemed to be granted unless there is an overriding reason relating to the public interest (ORPI). This is called tacit consent. It is not in the public interest for the registration of an independent school to be granted in this way as there is a risk to the welfare, health and safety of children. Consequently, if an application to register an independent school is not processed within six months, tacit consent will not apply.