“Ireland drinking in last chance saloon" over EU environmental ruling

Posted by Bronwen Maher on May 05, 2010 at 03:58 PM

The Irish government’s failure to amend national legislation to comply with a European Court of Justice ruling on the application of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive to certain fish farm projects may leave the Irish taxpayer liable to pay millions of Euros in daily fines imposed by the EU, Nessa Childers MEP has said.
 
Ms. Childers, speaking in Brussels explained, “The European Environment Commissioner, Janez Potocnik today issued a final warning to Ireland demanding that the government amend Irish law on EIAs as they apply to certain fish farm projects. Ireland is obliged to take the necessary steps following a European Court of Justice judgment issued in November 2008 in regard to this matter.
 
“Ireland is drinking in the last chance saloon on this and many other important areas relating to the application of the EIA Directive. Failure to comply will see the hard-pressed Irish taxpayer stung for millions of Euros in cumulative daily fines which the EU has a right to impose until such time as we get our house in order and change the law as we are now obliged to do.”
 
She added, “During Commissioner Potocnik’s recent confirmation hearing in the European Parliament, I demanded that he take a tough, zero-tolerance line against serial environmental offenders. It gives me no pleasure to include Ireland in this rogue’s gallery non-compliant countries when it comes to EIAs and the transposing of other significant EU environment legislation. Mr. Potocnik also made a commitment to me that the operation of the EIA Directive will be reviewed this year and tightened up as I believe it is warranted.
 
“In March, the Commissioner also informed me that there are currently three ongoing infringements being pursued following judgments from the European Court of Justice condemning Ireland for breaches of its obligations under the EIA Directive. These cases involve several issues including quarrying, afforestation and intensive fish farming. They all have one thing in common and that is a failure to ensure that projects identified in the EIA Directive are subjected to a proper assessment for the need for an EIA to be taken prior to consent for the development being given. Indeed, a fourth case is currently before the Court awaiting judgment.  
 
“Ireland must get its act together and ensure that the relevant legislation is changed to ensure that we are good EU environmental citizens and to avoid the daily fines set to be imposed soon.”

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