Michael Woods
Ceist:55 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the guiding principles, if any, for environmental protection and tourism and trade development. [16859/95]
Written Answers. - Environment Protection.
While the maintenance of environmental standards is essentially a matter for the Minister for the Environment, the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-1999 acknowledges that the future of Irish tourism is linked to the maintenance of a quality environment. A guiding principal of the programme is that all developments must comply with best standards as established by the appropriate environmental authorities.
Under the Operational Programme, the application of planning law is critical in ensuring that tourism developments are compatible with the best environmental standards. Recent changes in Irish planning law together with the application of EU Environment Impact Assessment Directives are enchancing the trasparency of this compliance. In addition, due account is also being taken, under the Operational Programme, of EU Directives related to the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna.
With regard to the Trade brief, it is now commonly accepted that a country with an environmentally friendly image has a competitive advantage in particular product areas, most notably in sophisticated and wealthy markets in Europe. In the key German market, for example, which is our largest continental market, consumers rate Ireland second only to Germany itself as the "greenest" country in Europe. To capitalise on this advantage it is necessary to ensure that we protect our position by giving substance to our "green" image through the rigorous application of all appropriate environmental standards.