Written answers

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

EU Directives

9:00 pm

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the issues which must be addressed here in order to implement the EU Directive on Public Participation; the stage he is at in addressing the outstanding issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42964/09]

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to ensure that Ireland ratifies the Aarhus Convention; if there are outstanding issues on legislation that Ireland must attend to before it can ratify this convention; when Ireland will be in a position to ratify this convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42962/09]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 90 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 and, in that context, 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).

The European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007 came into effect on 1 May 2007. These Regulations transpose EU Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to environmental information.

The process to transpose the Public Participation Directive is well advanced. The recent European Court of Justice judgement in case C427/07 concerning the Public Participation Directive requires certain legislative amendments which my Department is prioritising in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General. When this work has been completed I, along with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will ensure that the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention is submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil as a matter of urgency. Ratification of the Aarhus Convention is a priority and the renewed Programme for Government commits the Government to its ratification by March 2010.

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