IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

Council Directive of 2 April, 1979, on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC) provides for the conservation of wild birds by, among other things, classifying important ornithological sites as Special Protection Areas for them. The effect of these Regulations is to classify an additional seven sites as Special Protection Areas in accordance with Article 4 of the Directive and to provide that contravention of the provisions of these Regulations shall constitute an offence.

Council Directive of 2 April, 1979, on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC) provides for the conservation of wild birds by, among other things, classifying important ornithological sites as Special Protection Areas for them. The effect of these Regulations is to classify an additional fourteen sites as Special Protection Areas in accordance with Article 4 of the Directive and to provide that contravention of the provisions of these Regulations shall constitute an offence.

European Communities (Conservation Of Wild Birds) (Amendment) Regulations, 1996

These Regulations transpose Directive 94/66/EC into Irish law by specifying emission limits for emission of sulphur dioxide from large combustion plant, with rated thermal input between 50MW and 100MW, using solid fuels.

The Regulations also re-state the emission limit values for large combustion plant with rated thermal input greater than 100MW, specified in the Air Pollution Act, 1987 (Combustion Plant) Regulations, 1992 which are now repealed by these Regulations.

These Regulations amend the Environmental Protection Agency (Licensing) Regulations, 1994 ( S.I. No. 85 of 1994 ), for the purpose of prescribing the day on or after which specified classes of activity in the First Schedule to the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 , will require an integrated pollution control licence in accordance with section 82(1) of the Act.

The Regulations also specify the "relevant day" for the purposes of "established activity" in section 3 of the 1992 Act in respect of specified classes of activity in the First Schedule to the Act.

The Regulations revoke Environmental Protection Agency (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations, 1995 ( S.I. No. 59 of 1995 ), and Environmental Protection Agency (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations, 1996 ( S.I. No. 79 of 1996 ).

These Regulations amend the Environmental Protection Agency (Licensing Fees) Regulations, 1994 ( S.I. No. 130 of 1994 ), as amended by the Environmental Protection Agency (Licensing Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, 1995 ( S.I. No. 60 of 1995 ), by

amending the definition of "large activity" and "small activity" in the interpretation of the Regulations and by

substituting for the schedule to those Regulations a schedule which includes fees payable to the Agency for applications for licences, reviews of licences or revised licences, and objections, in respect of the full range of activities in the First Schedule to the Environment Protection Agency Act, 1992

These Regulations amend the Quality of Bathing Waters Regulations, 1992 which give effect to Council Directive No. 76/160/EEC of 8 December, 1975 (O.J. No. L31/1, 5 February, 1976) concerning the quality of bathing water. The effect of the amendments is to apply the water quality standards, sampling programmes and pollution prevention provisions of the 1992 Regulations to an additional 8 bathing areas, bringing the total number of bathing areas covered by the Regulations to 124. Local authorities will be required to submit results of their bathing water sampling programmes to the Environmental ‘Protection Agency instead of to the Minister, in such manner as directed by the Agency.

These Regulations prescribe the various organisations for the purposes of selecting candidates for consideration for appointment by the Minister as members of the Advisory Committee of the Environmental Protection Agency and deal with related matters.