Two dates
The publication date is when the rule was announced; the effective date is when it starts binding. They may or may not be the same. The interval is not a courtesy but a window for preparation, and the tracking list should show it.
What a transitional provision does
It says what happens to work done under the old rules once the new ones take effect:
- do documents obtained under the old rules stay valid until they expire?
- can training already in progress be completed?
- is there a compliance period up to a stated date?
- does work already started remain under the old rule?
Why it gets skipped
The summary of a change is read, the transitional articles are not — they sit at the end and look technical. In practice they decide most of the work: assuming “everything is new from today” produces both unnecessary cost and unnecessary panic.
What is recorded
The tracking record carries three dates together: publication, effect and any compliance deadline. The third is the one planning rests on.
The repealed text
A new rule usually repeals the old one. In the register the old line is not deleted but closed: until when it was valid, and what replaced it. A deleted line makes it impossible to show what was in force during a retrospective inspection.