IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

S.I. No. 142/2013 European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Agriculture) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.

These Regulations primarily amend the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and the Waste Management Act 1996 to transpose Chapters II and VI of Directive 2010/75/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (Recast). The Regulations apply to the industrial emissions directive activities specified in the First Schedule to the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 , as amended by these Regulations. The Regulations also include other consequential amendments to regulations affected by the transposition of Chapter II of the Directive.

These Regulations provide for various procedural matters in relation to the integrated licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency of Industrial Emissions Directive activities specified in the First Schedule to the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and transposes Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (Recast). The Regulations provide for applications for licences, reviews of licences or revised licences, consideration by the Agency of objections, including the holding of oral hearings, public participation procedures associated with the industrial emissions licensing system administered by the Agency and the contents of the register of licences.

S.I. No. 134/2013 European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Petroleum Exploration) Regulations 2013.

The purpose of this Order is to enforce a statutory collection of statistical information on waste which will contribute to the availability of comparable, reliable, synchronised, and comprehensive data at European level.

The Regulations amend section 14B of the National Monuments Act 1930 (No. 2 of 1930) as inserted by section 5 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 (No. 22 of 2004). Section 14B relates to situations where the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has issued directions to a road authority in respect of a national monument discovered during the carrying out of an approved road development. It provides for the carrying out, in appropriate circumstances, of environmental impact assessment of proposed material alterations of approved road schemes consequent on the issuing of such Ministerial directions. The amendments to section 14B made by these Regulations are necessary so as to ensure that full effect is given in Irish law to Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment.

This Order brings into operation certain provisions of the Water Services Act 2013 .

Directive 2009/147/EC (O.J. L 20/7 of 26 January 2010) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 (úthe Birds Directiveù) on the conservation of wild birds provides for the conservation of wild birds by, among other things, classifying important ornithological sites as Special Protection Areas. The hyperlink http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/sites_birds/index_en.htm which connects to the European Commission Environment (Nature and Biodiversity) website also contains a further link to the text of the Birds Directive. The effect of these Regulations is to designate a site as a Special Protection Area in accordance with Article 4 of the Directive. The geographical area of the Special Protection Area designated by these Regulations is defined by Schedule 1 (a map or maps of the area) and Schedule 2 (a list of the townlands in question / a description of the area). For more detailed maps than those contained in Schedule 1, or for greater detail on boundary delineation, contact should be made with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht or by viewing the relevant text or map details on www.npws.ie. The bird species cited in Schedule 3 of these Regulations are specified, in accordance with the Directive, in order to ensure their survival and reproduction in their area of distribution. Under Article 5 of the Directive all species of birds are afforded protection from disturbance, capture and damage to nests and eggs, not just the birds listed on Schedule 3 (with the exception of those birds covered under Articles 7 for hunting and 9, where derogations are listed). Those operations or activities requiring the consent of the Minister listed at Schedule 4 to these Regulations are cited for their potential to cause disturbance or damage to the bird species and their habitats specified in Schedule 3 of these Regulations. Landowners or occupiers should contact the local National Parks and Wildlife Service office of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht before undertaking any of the works listed at Schedule 4. (See www.npws.ie for contact details). Please note that operations/activities other than those listed at Schedule 4 to these Regulations, such as effluent discharge, construction work, aquaculture, fishing or forestry require a licence or permission from the appropriate consent authority. These Regulations provide (Regulation 6) that contravention of the provisions of these Regulations shall constitute an offence. Regulation 6 also provides for penalties.