Vol. 509 No. 6
403 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the formal and informal meetings of the EU Environment Council which have been held since July 1997; and the matters which were considered at each of these meetings. [21042/99]
The Council of Environment Ministers of the EU normally meets in formal session four times a year, in March, June, October and December. Nine such council meetings have taken place since July 1997. A wide range of legislative and policy matters were discussed at each council, in addition, EU positions were developed as appropriate for purposes of participation by institutions of the European Union in relevant international negotiations including, for example, those at UN level relating to climate change, biodiversity, trans-frontier shipment of waste and in the Commission for Sustainable Development. A report on the matters discussed at each meeting is issued by the general secretariat of the council and I am arranging for a copy of each report since July 1997 to be supplied to the Deputy and placed in the Oireachtas Library.
In addition to the formal councils, Environment Ministers held four informal meetings since July 1997. The matters discussed at each meeting were as follows: April 1998 – chemicals management, environmental integration, environment and transport; July 1998 – environmental integration, environment and renewable energies; May 1999 – product-related environmental policy, EU enlargement, review of EU chemicals policy, Presidency report on environmental integration; July 1999 – main challenges for environmental policy, environment/enlargement with emphasis on climate change and the environmental implications of the Kosovo conflict.
