Ireland faces EC charges on environment

Ireland is facing five different cases claiming it has infringed European Commission environmental directives, it was announced today.

One case accuses the Government of failing to protect the ozone layer; the four other cases concern Ireland's failure to adhere to directives governing environmental impact assessment and noise, the commission said.

Ireland could face a hefty fine if the commission is unsatisfied with the Government's response to its orders.

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said today he "fully accepts" the Government has had problems implementing certain environmental rules. But he insisted it is "wrong and unfair" to say Ireland is not taking its obligations seriously and said the Government's record was among the best in Europe.

"Sometimes we are late; more often than not, this is because of the very extensive consultation processes in which we engage with our stakeholders," Mr Roche argued.

Mr Roche said Ireland, along with Greece, was one of only two EU states to adopt a directive on the recycling of electrical goods such as fridges.

He admitted the Government had "differences of opinion" with the EC on how certain environmental rules should be followed. "I'm seeking to resolve these differences amicably with the EU Commission and to avoid the need for determination of the issues involved by the European Court Of Justice", he said.

He also welcomed the EC's announcement that Ireland had successfully answered two claims of failure to comply with laws on air pollutants.

The European Court of Justice found in October last year that Ireland had failed to report to the EC on how it was implementing EU regulations on certain ozone-depleting substances. If this report fails to materialise, the commission warned today it could ask the court to impose a fine on Ireland. Mr Roche said the Environmental Protection Agency would send a report later this month.

Ireland also faces a European Court hearing in relation to the regulation of fish farms and its use of environmental impact assessments on the restructuring of rural land holdings, the use of uncultivated land or semi-natural areas for intensive agriculture, and the management of agricultural irrigation projects.

The Government aadditionally faces a court hearing to answer commission charges of allowing afforestation in sensitive areas without regard to relevant EU directives.

Finally, Ireland has received a final warning for not adopting EU laws on noise. A number of other EU states have received similar warnings.

Mr Roche said new legislation on fish farms will shortly be enacted that he was confident would satisfy the commission. Another bill will transpose EU noise regulations into Irish law.

The Green Party's environment, heritage and local government spokesman Ciaran Cuffe claimed today's announcement proved the Government was "in the doghouse" with the commission because it was not taking environmental issues seriously. He said the Government's failures to follow EU directives was putting archaeology, ecologically valuable wetlands and other landscapes at risk.

He dismissed Mr Roche's claim Ireland is late on implementing laws because of the consultation process. "One of the cases against Ireland concerning the Environment Impact Assessment Directive relates to the imposition of a fee for those who wish to express an opinion on Planning Applications," Mr Cuffe argued.

Last April, the commission said it was taking the Government to court over a range of health and environmental issues, including failing to deal with noxious odours from some of the country's sewage-treatment plants. The commission said it was taking the action following complaints about the smells coming from a number of plants, including the country's largest, in Ringsend in Dublin.