Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 125: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to implement Directive 2003/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 providing for public participation in respect of the drawing up of certain plans and programmes relating to the environment and amending with regard to public participation and access to justice Council Directives 85/337/EEC and 96/61/EC. [5343/06]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 164: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to transpose Directive 2003/35/EC; the progress which has been made to date in 2006 towards ratifying the Aarhus Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5319/06]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 171: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he intends to implement Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repeal Council Directive 90/313/EEC. [5342/06]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 164 and 171 together.

Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. To date, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the ratification process for the convention. These deal with public access to environmental information, 2003/4/EC, and public participation in certain environmental decision making procedures, 2003/35/EC. Ratification of the convention will take place after these directives have been transposed into Irish law.

Work is continuing in my Department with regard to the transposition of these two directives and will be completed as soon as possible. When the work on transposition is completed, the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention will be submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil.