Vol. 566 No. 1
704 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reasons for the delay in the legal implementation of integrated pollution prevention and control here; and if there has been a threat of an infringement procedure being initiated by the European Commission. [11408/03]
An integrated pollution control, IPC, licensing system under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 has been administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, since 1994. In general, the licensing provisions of the Act anticipated the provisions of EU Council Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control, IPPC, and have delivered substantial compliance by Ireland with the directive, in advance of the deadlines which it contains – some of which extend out to 2007 – and ahead of other EU member states.
The Protection of the Environment Bill 2003, which contains a wide range of technically complex provisions, inter alia, makes the remaining necessary legislative changes to complete Ireland's transposition of the directive. The Bill was passed by Seanad Éireann on 1 April last and is now before Dáil Éireann.
The European Commission has most recently communicated with Ireland in relation to transposition of the directive by letter dated 17 December 2002 in accordance with Article 226 of the treaty establishing the European Community. A response was sent to the Commission on 5 February 2003 pointing out that the Bill had been published on 30 January.
