IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations provide for amendments to the Sea Pollution (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 1994 (S.I. No. 44 of 1994) (as amended by the Sea Pollution (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (S.I. No. 642 of 2002)), which give effect to Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, adopted by the International Maritime Organisation on 2 November, 1973 and as amended by its Protocol adopted on 17 February, 1978, and as further amended by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organisation.

The purpose of these Regulations is to reduce the discharges of ship-generated waste and cargo residues into the sea, especially illegal discharges, from ships using ports in the Community, by improving the availability and use of port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues, thereby enhancing the protection of the marine environment.

The regulations provide for the introduction of the ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal to four additional restricted areas in Bray, Kilkenny Sligo and Tralee.

The Regulations come into force on 1 October 2003.

These Regulations amend the Environmental Protection Agency (Selection Procedures) Regulations, 1992 ( S.I. No. 215 of 1992 ) so as to provide that, instead of an officer of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, an officer of the Office of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commissioners shall act as secretary to the selection committee.

These Regulations replace the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations, 1997 and are designed to promote the recovery of packaging waste. They are intended, in particular, to facilitate the achievement of the targets for the recovery of packaging waste established by Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, so that by December 2005:

(a) between 50% and 65% of packaging waste by weight is recovered; and
(b) between 25% and 45% of packaging waste by weight is recycled in total, including 15% by weight for individual packaging materials.

The Regulations impose obligations on producers who supply packaging (i.e. packaging materials, packaging or packaged goods) to the Irish market. An exemption from certain obligations is available to major producers who participate in a packaging waste recovery scheme operated by an approved body.

The Regulations provide that a producer may not supply packaging or packaged products to the Irish market unless the packaging concerned complies with specified essential requirements as to its nature and composition.

The Regulations also provide for limits on the concentration levels of certain heavy metals in packaging.

1 OJ No. L 365, 31.12.1994, page 10.

2 OJ L 62, 2.3.2001, p. 20

An Act to give effect to the amendment of the limitation amounts in the protocol of 1992 to amend the International Convention on Civil Liability for oil pollution damage 1969, done at London on 27 November 1992, and the amendment of the limits of compensation in the protocol of 1992 to amend the International Convention on the establishment of an international fund for compensation for oil pollution damage 1971, done at London on 27 November 1992, to give effect to the protocol of 2003 to the international convention on the establishment of an international fund for compensation for oil pollution damage 1992, done at London on 16 May 2003, and for those purposes to amend the Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Acts 1988 to 1998, and to provide for connected matters.

An Act to provide for the implementation of Directive 96/61/EC Of 24 September 1996 Of The Council Of The European Communities concerning integrated pollution prevention and control and certain other acts adopted by the institutions of the European Communities, for that and other purposes to amend the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and The Waste Management Act 1996, to amend The Litter Pollution Act 1997 and to provide for related matters.

These Regulations provide for amendments to the Sea Pollution (Prevention of Oil Pollution Regulations, 1994 ( S.I. No. 44 of 1994 ) which give effect to Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, adopted by the International Maritime Organisation on 2 November, 1973 and as amended by its Protocol adopted on 17 February 1978, and as further amended by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organisation.