Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the long delay in introducing regulations on end of life vehicles; the communications he has had with the EU Commission in regard to the proposed regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11083/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling provisions to facilitate implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC on end of life vehicles, ELVs, were incorporated in the Protection of the Environment Act 2003. The delay in transposing and implementing the directive principally reflects difficulties in reaching agreement with the relevant sectors on the detailed mechanisms for the operation of the take-back arrangements required by the directive, including how such arrangements will be funded.

My Department has had correspondence and discussions with the European Commission in relation to various aspects on the transposition and implementation of the directive in Ireland. Legal proceedings were initiated against Ireland by the European Commission on the grounds that the directive was only partially transposed as the regulations on the detailed arrangements for implementation of the directive in Ireland had not been made. On 28 October 2004, the European Court of Justice made a judgment in this case and found that Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations in relation to the full transposition of Directive 2000/53/EC on end of life vehicles.

I have had discussions with relevant sectors with a view to developing an effective and pragmatic approach to implement the directive in Ireland and I hope to announce my proposals shortly. I intend to make regulations later this year fully to transpose the directive's provisions and facilitate its implementation as soon as is possible.