IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations, which relate to fisheries control systems and rules for the recording of fish catches, provide that a contravention of any provision of Commission Regulations is a contravention of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 .

This Order may be cited as the Marine Tourism (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011.

These Regulations amend the Sulphur Content of Heavy Fuel Oil, Gas Oil, and Marine Fuels Regulations 2008 by excluding gas oils intended for use by non-road mobile machinery (including inland waterway vessels), agricultural and forestry tractors, and recreational craft from the scope of those Regulations. Such gas oils are now regulated under the European Communities Act, 1972 (Environmental Specifications for Petrol, Diesel Fuels and Gas Oils for use by non-road mobile machinery, including inland waterway vessels, agricultural and forestry tractors, and recreational craft) Regulations 2011.

These Regulations transpose Directive 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC. These Regulations set the technical specifications for petrol and diesel fuels in respect of road vehicles. These Regulations permit the placing on the market of petrol with an ethanol content of up to 10%, diesel fuels with a fatty acid methyl ester content of up to 7% and require suppliers of fuels to provide appropriate information on the biofuel content and blend of such fuels. The Regulations provide for the marketing on an appropriate geographical basis of petrol with a maximum ethanol content of 5% until 1 January, 2013. In addition, suppliers of fuel are obliged to display a label which designates the metallic content of fuel at any point where fuel containing metallic additives is made available to consumers. These Regulations set a metallic additive methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) content limit of 6 mg manganese per litre for fuel and a metallic additive methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) content limit of 2 mg manganese per litre for fuel from 1 January, 2014. These Regulations set a maximum sulphur content of 10 mg/kg for gas oils marketed for use by non-road mobile machinery, inland waterway vessels when not at sea, agricultural and forestry tractors, and recreational craft when not at sea. A maximum sulphur content of 20 mg/kg is permitted for gas oil intended for use by non-road mobile machinery, inland waterway vessels when not at sea, agricultural and forestry tractors, and recreational craft when not at sea at the final point of distribution to end users to accommodate minor contamination in the supply chain. Regulation 12(5) also requires that suppliers provide appropriate information to consumers concerning the biofuel content, if any, of gas oils intended for use by non-road mobile machinery, etc. This is necessary because gas oil with bio content is not suitable for use as marine fuel and may also oxidise if stored for periods longer than 6 months. These Regulations revoke and replace the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Environmental Specifications for Petrol and Diesel Fuels) Regulations 1999, the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Environmental Specifications for Petrol and Diesel Fuels) Regulations 2003 and the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Environmental Specifications for Petrol and Diesel Fuels) (Amendment) Regulations 2004.

These Regulations amend S.I. 542/2009 on Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services. The Regulations place obligations on public bodies relating to the procurement of energy efficient products from a Register maintained by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

This S.I. pertains to the conferral of additional functions on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The functions being assigned to SEAI relate to requirements under the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC concerning renewable energy related information and training; promotion and encouragement of renewable energy use by public bodies; and promotion of certain renewable technologies.

This S.I. pertains to the implementation of Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. Elements of the Directive are transposed including the provisions relating to access to and operation of the grid; guarantees of origin and the exemplary role of public bodies regarding public buildings.

The purpose of these Regulations is to provide amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Regulations of 2004 and 2010 so as to remove the obligation on the EPA to prepare a National Allocation Plan in the period post 2012, and to allow operators more time to submit data to the EPA for the purposes of the free allocation of allowances for the third trading period. In addition, the Regulations provide for the appointment of an auctioneer which is required under the Commissions Auctioning Regulation on the auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances. The first amendment is necessary because National Allocation Plans will no longer be required in the third trading period i.e. the period post 2012. The second amendment is required to facilitate the completion by the European Commission of the rules and guidance for Member States on the allocation of allowances, and the implementation of such rules and guidance by the EPA. In December 2010, the Climate Change Committee agreed in favour of the detailed rules for the harmonised free allocation of emission allowances pursuant to Article 10a of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme Directive. These rules are now subject to a three month period of scrutiny in the Council and the European Parliament. Further guidance is currently being developed by the Commission to assist Member States in implementing these rules. Extending the date from 28 February 2011 to 30 June 2011 will ensure that the EPA can implement the Commissions rules, as soon as these are agreed and adopted, and it will allow operators of installations sufficient time to submit the requisite verified data for consideration by the EPA. Following this, the EPA should be in a position to comply with the Directives requirement of publishing and submitting to the Commission the national list of installations covered by the Directive by 30 September 2011. The verified data to be submitted to the EPA by operators includes baseline data collected and verified in accordance with Articles 7 and 8, and Annex IV of the abovementioned rules. These rules are published on the Commissions website, http://ec.europa.eu/clima/documentation/ets/benchmarking__en.htm, the EPAs website, www.epa.ie and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Governments website, www.environ.ie The effect of these Regulations is to prepare for the third trading period. These Regulations do not contradict the provisions of, and agreements reached under, the National Allocation Plan, published by the EPA in March 2008 in respect of the second trading period, 2008 to 2012. Further revocations of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Regulations will be required in advance of the third trading period. Such revocations will be undertaken as part of the transposition of the remaining provisions of the revised EU Emissions Trading Scheme Directive. This transposition exercise will also consolidate all the Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Regulations. In addition, these Regulations give effect to Commission Regulation (EU) No 1031/2010 of 12 November 2010 on the timing, administration and other aspects of auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. While this Regulation is directly applicable in Member States of the European Union, it is necessary to provide for certain administrative details, including the appointment of an auctioneer, provided for in Article 22 of the Commission Regulation. The Environmental Protection Agency is appointed as the auctioneer in the State for the purpose of these Regulations and the Commission Regulation.