Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2004
473 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the status of the Aarhus Convention in Ireland; and the steps that have been taken towards implementing it into domestic law. [4612/04]
View answerIreland has signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. Two related EU directives on access to information and public participation were agreed by the Council and the European Parliament in 2003 and work is under way on their transposition by the required dates in 2005; further EU legislative proposals related to the convention were also published by the Commission towards the end of 2003. My Department is working towards ratification of the convention in consultation with other relevant Departments and in the light of the emerging legislative framework at EU level.
