Enda Kenny
Question:49 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects EU approval for the nitrates action programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32790/04]
View answerThursday, 9 December 2004
Questions (65, 66)
Written answers
Ireland's national action programme under the nitrates directive was submitted to the European Commission on 22 October 2004. The action programme, which was developed following a comprehensive consultation process, provides for a range of measures to strengthen the application of good agricultural practice countrywide in order to protect water quality against pollution from agricultural sources. I understand that the Commission will formally respond to Ireland on the matter in the coming weeks.
Question No. 50 answered with QuestionNo. 40.
Question No. 51 answered with QuestionNo. 25.
Question No. 52 answered with QuestionNo. 11.
John Perry
Question:53 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of EU environment directives that remain to be transposed into Irish law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32765/04]
View answerThere are currently five directives in my Department's area of responsibility which are outstanding for transposition. These include 2000/53/EC — end-of-life vehicles, ELVs. This directive contains two stages of transposition, the first by 21 April 2002, for new vehicles sold after 1 July 2002, and the second by January 2007 for all other vehicles.
There have been difficulties in reaching agreement with the motor industry on ELV take back arrangements required by the directive. However, written agreement was recently reached on a scheme to provide for free take back of all end of life vehicles during 2005. It is intended that the directive will be transposed in the first quarter of 2005.
EU Directive 2002/49/EC refers to assessment and management of environmental noise. Drafting of regulations to transpose this directive is well advanced and transposition is intended in early 2005. EU Directive 2002/88/EC refers to measures against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from internal combustion engines to be installed in non-road mobile machinery. Draft regulations are nearing completion with a view to circulation to relevant bodies for observations early in 2005. It is intended that the directive will be transposed in the first quarter of 2005. These regulations will also transpose Directive 2004/26/EC, on non-road mobile machinery, which has a transposition target date of 20 May 2005.
Directives 2002/95/EC and 2002/96/EC, with its amending Directive 2003/108/EC, are two related directives concerning, respectively, restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and arrangements for dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment. Legislative proposals for the transposition of both directives are now in drafting. It is intended that the directive will be transposed in the first quarter of 2005.
I am keenly aware of the importance of timely transposition of EU environmental legislation, some 200 items of which, including more than 140 directives, have by now been transposed in this country. More recently, external legal and drafting expertise have been utilised in order to expedite this.