Vol. 531 No. 4
197 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when she submitted details of the compensation scheme for framework document implementation to the EU Commission; the negotiations which have since taken place with the EU in this regard; and when she hopes to receive approval from the EU for its implementation. [6173/01]
The compensation scheme to which the Deputy refers was submitted to the EU Commission on 20 October 1999 and I and the then Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Ó Cuív, met representatives of the Commission on 22 November 1999 to underline the importance of the scheme to our implementation of the habitats directive. Since then the Commission has sought clarification on a number of issues and this has been supplied to them.
It is anticipated that formal approval of our compensation scheme will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. The scheme relates to compensation for losses arising from restrictions in Natura 2000 generally, and not only to implementation of commonage framework plans.
