Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2015
640. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made by her Department in relation to the ongoing European Union review of development restrictions in special areas of conservation and special protection areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33244/15]
View answerThe EU Commission is carrying out a Fitness Check on the EU Birds and Habitats Directives at this time. The Commission is examining progress in implementation and integration of the Directive across the Member States of the EU, the costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation, and opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden (without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives). The review is not a review of development restrictions per se, although interested parties were able to raise such issues during the consultative phase. The Commission's State of Nature in the EU report was a central document in the process. My Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine were invited early this year to make submissions via a detailed questionnaire. IBEC and An Taisce were also invited to respond from Ireland to the questionnaire. All responses via the questionnaire can be accessed at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/evidence_gathering/index_en.htm.
A public Internet consultation was also held, ending in July this year. My Department's submission considered the successes and problems encountered in the implementation of the Directives. It can also be accessed on the following link:
http://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/Fitness%20Check%2015%204%2015.pdf.
A conference on the Fitness Check will be held in Brussels in November, where draft results of the evaluation will be shared and discussed with Member States and key stakeholder groups. The Commission is to publish its report on the results of the Fitness Check in 2016.
