Roche to set up taskforce for EU complaints

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche is to set up a taskforce to address outstanding complaints against Ireland over the State's failure to fulfil EU environmental obligations.

The establishment of the taskforce follows rulings against Ireland in the European Court last month under the nitrates and waste directives.

It also follows the revelation that the EU is proceeding against Ireland on a range of issues including failure to protect shellfish and the ozone layer, and ensuring uniform planning regulations.

Seventy complaints against Ireland are currently lodged with the EU and Mr Roche said it was time Ireland ended its poor record on compliance.

According to Mr Roche, a recent audit revealed most of the 70 cases could be dealt with by immediate action on the part of the taskforce.

He was hopeful the proposals to revise the State's nitrates management strategy would be accepted in Brussels and fines, which he said could be as high as €1 million plus per day, could be avoided.

Mr Roche has also invited EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas to Ireland to see the efforts which are being made to end the State's poor reputation on compliance.

The new taskforce is expected to take its lead from the current high level group on achieving compliance in relation to waste water regulations.

The current group is made up of officials at assistant secretary general level in the departments of Finance and Environment as well as the Office of the Attorney General.

Mr Roche said the new group, while primarily made up of officials from his department, would be given every resource necessary to "bring Ireland to the top of the class in environmental compliance".

Issues which the taskforce is expected to address include the production of reports and clearing the backlog of communication, as well as the examination of specific complaints such as that concerning dumping in the Boyne Estuary at Drogheda.

Officials from the Department have already been in contact with their counterparts in Brussels on the specifics of a range of complaints.

These complaints include the failure of the State to enforce uniform planning regulations, and a list of 12 separate cases of breaches of the EU waste directive which was initially lodged in 2001

Referring to his recent row with the EU on its publication of the EU court rulings against Ireland, Mr Roche said discussions with the union had "moved away from megaphone diplomacy".

"We now have a much better way of doing business. I said at the time that the last judgment was a wake-up call. We will now have an action plan to evaluate and resolve the majority of outstanding issues."

Mr Roche said over recent weeks relations with European officials had improved to the point where everyone was working towards the same goal.

"We now have fruitful discussions with officials in Europe and we know a lot more about the institutional arrangements," said Mr Roche.

"A good example was our proposed amendment to the nitrates strategy.

"Before we sent it off we tested it on the officials and we think we have agreement.

"Naturally they have to see the totality and we have to give them time to respond, but we are very hopeful," the Minister added.

Mr Roche paid tribute to IFA leader John Dillon, Pat O'Rourke of the ICMSA, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society and Macra na Feirme.

He said these organisations had a duty to protect their own interests but had also prevented Ireland getting fines of €1 million-plus per day.