IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

The purpose of these Regulations is to amend Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to provide for exemptions in respect of renewable technologies for industrial buildings, business premises and agricultural holdings, and in respect of schools, demolition and private roads.

The amendments provided for in these Regulations are intended to enable the motor industry to strengthen the information provided to consumers, while complying with the requirements of Directive 1999/94/EC, as amended.

1 O.J. No. L12/16 of 18 January 2000.

2 O.J. No. L186/34 of 25 July 2003.

The European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations, 2003 ( S.I. No. 722 of 2003 ) provide for transposition of the EU Water Framework Directive 2000 (Directive 2000/60/EC). These Regulations amend SI 722 of 2003 by—

•amending from 22 June 2008 to 22 December 2008 the deadline for publication of draft programmes of measures and draft river basin management plans;

•amending from 22 June 2009 to 16 October 2009 the deadline for the relevant local authorities to establish environmental objectives in relation to each river basin district, establish and publish the programmes of measures, and make and publish river basin management plans;

•amending from 22 July 2009 to 30 October 2009 the deadline for the publication of programmes of measures and river basin management plans, where the making of such programmes of measures and river basin management plans have become executive functions;

•amending the date on which the programmes of measures and the river basin management plans come into effect from "six months after they have first been published" to 22 December 2009;

•amending, from three months to one month, the period within which the EPA must provide a report to the Minister in relation to the programmes of measures and the river basin management plans;

•amending to 11 December 2009 the date by which the Minister may, as he considers appropriate, amend a programme of measures or a river basin management plan by notice issued to the co-ordinating authority (where previously he could make amendments within five months of the publication of the programme of measures or river basin management plan);

•amending from 22 June 2015 to 16 October 2015 the deadline for the relevant local authorities to review and update the programmes of measures and river basin management plans.

1 O.J. No. L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1.

These Regulations revise and replace the Waste Management (Landfill Levy) Regulations 2002 and the Waste Management (Landfill Levy) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 and make provision for the continued operation of the landfill levy provided for under section 73 of the Waste Management Acts 1996 to 2008.

The Regulations increase the landfill levy for waste disposed of at an authorised landfill facility from €15 per tonne to €20 per tonne with effect from 1 July 2008. A rate of €20 per tonne is also applicable where waste has been disposed of at an unauthorised landfill facility.

This Order amends section 73(3) of the Waste Management Acts 1996 to 2008 and provides that the amount of the landfill levy shall not exceed €20.

These Regulations provide for the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No. 2015/2006 of 19 December 2006 fixing for 2007 and 2008 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required.

1 O.J. No. L 384 of 29.12.2006, p.28.

This order provides for the commencement of Part 2 of the Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 .

The Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 amends the Sea Pollution Acts 1991 to 1999 to give effect to a number of instruments which have been agreed at the International Maritime Organization relating to the protection of the marine environment.

Part 2 of the Act gives effect to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001, (Bunkers Convention).

These Regulations give effect to Council Directive 1999/32/EC relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels, as amended by Directive 2005/33/EC.

The 1999 Directive was originally transposed into Irish law under the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Sulphur Content of Heavy Fuel Oil and Gas Oil) Regulations 2001. The 2001 Regulations are revoked and the full provisions of the 1999 Directive, including the amendments introduced in the 2005 Directive, are transposed under these Regulations.

The purpose of the Regulations, as reflected in Article 1 of the 1999 Directive, is to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide resulting from the combustion of certain types of liquid fuels and thereby to reduce the harmful effects of such emissions on human health and the environment.

The 1999 Directive required the introduction of limits on the sulphur content of certain petroleum-derived fuels as a condition of their use within the territory of each Member State of the European Community. It specified the maximum permitted sulphur content of heavy fuel oil, gas oil and marine gas oil, other than marine fuels which were largely exempted. The 2005 Directive broadens the purpose and scope of the 1999 Directive to include territorial seas and marine fuels. The limited exemptions are set out in the amendment to Article 1(2) of the 1999 Directive which is contained in Article 1(1) of the 2005 Directive.

Subject to relevant exceptions, including a specific exemption in Article 9 in relation to new technologies in shipping, these Regulations prohibit—

(a) the use of:

• heavy fuel oils with a sulphur content which exceeds 1% by mass;

• gas oil with a sulphur content which exceeds 0.1% by mass; and

• marine fuels with a sulphur content which exceeds 1.5% by mass in any passenger ship operating regular services within the EU;

(b) the marketing of marine fuels, including marine diesel oils, with a sulphur content exceeding 1.5% by mass; and
(c) from 1 January 2010—

• the marketing of marine gas oil with a sulphur content which exceeds 0.1% by mass, and

• the use in inland waterway vessels or ships at berth, of marine fuels with sulphur content which exceeds 0.1% by mass.

The Regulations include requirements in relation to the keeping of ships’ logbooks and establishment of a register of marine fuel suppliers in the State. They also make appropriate provision for enforcement, including the sampling and analysis of fuels, prosecution of offences and penalties.

1 O.J. No. L 121/13 of 11 May 1999

2 O.J. No. L 74 of 27 March 1993, p.81

3 O.J. No. L 191/59 of 22 July 2005