EU Directives

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Questions (531)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

531. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the work his Department is currently undertaking on various pieces of upcoming legislation, through a potential Bill to go through the Houses of the Oireachtas or through statutory instrument, to ensure Ireland is in compliance with the upcoming deadlines of directives from the European Union; the deadline in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27470/13]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

My Department is currently working on transposing a number of EU Directives the details of which are set out in tabular format below.

Title of Directive/Regulation	Present Position	Required latest date of transposition
EU Regulation 994/2010  concerning measures to safeguard security of gas supply and repealing Council Directive 2004/67/EC	The Regulation came into effect on 2/12/2010.  A draft SI is at an advanced stage of preparation and is expected to be brought into force in Q3 2013.  The SI will clarify the roles of BGE and the CER in national gas emergency processes.	The regulation takes direct effect and therefore does not require transposition. The SI is for the purpose of clarifying the roles of BGE and CER in national emergency processes.
EU Regulation 1227/2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency	The Regulation was published in the OJEU on 8/12/2011 and is directly applicable from 28/12/2011. Provision must be made in national law for the designation of a regulatory authority to monitor and enforce compliance by June 2013. Draft Regulations are currently being prepared to address these provisions.	The Regulation entered into force 20 days following publication in the OJEU. Member States have until end June 2013 to notify the offence provisions to the EU Commission.
Regulation (EU) No 531/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2012  on roaming on public mobile communications networks within the Union	The Regulation was published in the OJEU on 30/06/2012 and is directly applicable to mobile telephone service providers from 1/07/2012. Provision must be made in national law for offences, prosecution and designation of a regulatory authority to monitor and enforce compliance. Draft Regulations are with the Office of the Parliamentary Draftsman	No transposition date is specified but Regulation entered into force on the day following publication in the OJEU. Member States have until end June 2013 to notify the offence provisions to the EU Commission.
Transposition of  New Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU) which will amend and repeal the Cogeneration Directive (2004/8/EC) and Energy Services Directive (2006/32/EC)	The Directive was formally adopted by the Council of Ministers and European Parliament in October 2012 and was published in the OJEU on 14/11/2012.   Transposition will translate elements of the European Efficiency Plan into binding measures for individual Member States, including an annual rate of renovation for central Government buildings of 3%; an inventory of central Government buildings with a total useful floor area over certain thresholds; an obligation on public bodies to procure products, services and buildings with high energy efficient performance; metering and billing information for consumers; the promotion of efficiency in heating and cooling; obligations on industry relating to energy audits and energy management systems and a common framework for national energy savings obligation schemes equivalent to annual energy savings of 1.5% of energy sales. Transposition will be progressed over the coming months. The Department plans to hold a consultation process to set out in detail the key provisions and challenges with implementation including costs and benefits.	Transposition is required by June 2014.