Ireland ratified the Aarhus Convention in June 2012 and it entered into force in September 2012. The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) was established under Article 15 of the Aarhus Convention to provide a non-confrontational, non-judicial and consultative forum for reviewing compliance with the provisions of the Convention. As part of that process, parties concerned are entitled to submit comments on the draft findings and to challenge issues of fact should they wish.
Ireland currently has 7 cases before the ACCC and has made appropriate responses in respect of each case. Ireland does not have a role in the timing of the ACCC decision-making process. It should be noted that each of the mainly planning related projects in question is also required to fully comply with Irish legislation, irrespective of whether a complaint of alleged non-compliance with the Convention is made to the non-judicial ACCC. A summary of the ACCC cases involving Ireland is provided in the table below. A final decision has yet to be made by the ACCC in each case. Comprehensive details of each of these cases, including correspondence, is available at: https://www.unece.org/env/pp/cc/com.html
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Case Title & Communicant
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Summary
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ACCC/C/2013/107
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Public participation (extension of a planning permission)
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ACCC/C/2014/112
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Wind turbines - non-compliance with the Aarhus Convention in Ireland
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ACCC/C/2014/113
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General alleged non-compliance re “prohibitively expensive” legal costs
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ACCC/C/2015/129
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Non-compliance with Article 9.1, 9.4, 6.1 (b), & 6.2 of the Aarhus Convention
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ACCC/C/2015/132
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Planning permission, public participation and access to information regarding Eirgrid
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ACCC/C/2016/139
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Complaint regarding a Dumping at Sea permit (regarding planning permission and permitting)
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ACCC/C/2016/141
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Complaint regarding the review mechanism for refused AIE requests
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