Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of EU directives for which her Department has responsibility remaining to be implemented; the directives that are overdue; the number of reasoned opinions received from the EU Commission since 2002 regarding delays or non-implementation of such directives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44911/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently a total of eight Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. Three of these Directives are currently overdue. The first of these, Directive 2007/45/EC on pre-packaged goods, is expected to be transposed by 19 December 2008. It is intended to transpose the second and third overdue Directives, Directive 2006/46/EC on company reporting and Directive 2006/43/EC on statutory audits of annual and consolidated accounts, by 28 February 2009 and 31 March 2009, respectively.

Full details on the state of play of all current EU Directives are maintained on the Department's website, www.entemp.ie.

My Department has received 25 Reasoned Opinions from the European Commission relating to Directives since 2002. The outstanding issues concerning all of these Reasoned Opinions have been resolved satisfactorily, with the exception of Directive 2006/43/EC which, as I said, is expected to be transposed on 31 March 2009.

I have made the transposition of EU Directives an ongoing priority in my Department.