Vol. 573 No. 3
672 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the details discussed at his meeting with EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström on 23 October; if she raised the issue of the State's failure to implement a number of EU environmental directives; if he gave her a target date by which time the State will have implemented all outstanding EU environmental directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25136/03]
On 23 October I met the Commissioner during her visit to Dublin. We had a productive and wide-ranging discussion on the environmental priorities for Ireland's forthcoming EU Presidency.
I explained that Ireland will give priority to EU policy and legislative proposals in the areas of air and water quality, climate change, waste management, chemicals and nature conservation, as well as preparing for participation in major international fora such as the seventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Malaysia next February. I also outlined the importance I attach to the environmental aspects of the Lisbon agenda, to be reviewed at the spring 2004 European Council, and the need to pursue growth and social progress decoupled from environmental damage.
The implementation of EU environmental legislation was not discussed. The Commissioner mentioned the establishment of the new office of environmental enforcement that I announced on 22 October.
