IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

These Regulations transpose Directive 2003/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 2003 amending Directive 98/79/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels. The Regulations provide for the marketing on an appropriate geographical basis of petrol and diesel fuels with a maximum sulphur content of 10mg/kg ("sulphur free") from the 1st day of January 2005 and throughout the State from the 1st day of January 2009. The Regulations also provide for the measurement and monitoring of fuel quality and for the prosecution of certain offences by an officer of the Revenue Commissioners

This Order brings into effect specified provisions of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003 relating to environmental enforcement including increases in fines, use of modern information storage devices for gathering of evidence on site, service of notices, EPA supervision of local authorities and environmental inspections. In addition, it commences provisions which provide, for the purposes of prosecutions, unless the contrary can be shown, that it will be a reasonable inference, in certain circumstances, that the land owner consented to the use of land for an illegal waste activity, and where a waste licence was not in force or not complied with in any respect by a holder of waste, that the carrying on of the activity was likely to cause environmental pollution. The Order also commences a provision enabling the EPA to determine, where a waste activity is carried on in a facility associated or connected with an IPPC licensable activity, that a licence under the Environmental Protection Agency Acts or the Waste Management Acts, but not under both codes, shall be required. Finally, provision is made for the charging of interest on late payments of environmental levies.

These Regulations provide that moneys from the Environment Fund may be used for initiatives undertaken in the State, or on an international or trans-national basis relating to the protection of the environment and /or sustainable development, including areas such as research and development, contributions to international organisations etc

This Order brings into force a specified section of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003 in relation to genetically modified organisms, and amendments in that Act to the Litter Pollution Act 1997 which strengthen local authority powers to prevent and control litter pollution, including increases in financial penalties and the introduction of conviction on indictment for litter offences.

This Order brings into effect specified provisions of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003

These Regulations implement Directive 2000/76/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 December 2000 on the incineration of waste. They apply to both incineration and co-incineration plants. The Directive specifies more stringent standards and other operational requirements to be applied in relation to these facilities and applies to new plants as from 28 December 2002 and existing plants from 28 December 2005. The Regulations provide for implementation of the Directive in the context of the licensing systems operated by the EPA in relation to facilities which fall to be licensed under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992( IPC activities) or the Waste Management Act 1996.

These Regulations amend the European Communities (Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption) Regulations, 1988 (S.I. No. 81 of 1988) to give further effect to Council Directive 80/778/EEC of 15 July, 1980, Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November, 1998 and Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 October, 2000.  The Regulations place an onus on those responsible for certain private water supplies to take the necessary measures to ensure that drinking water supplied meets the prescribed standards. The Regulations also provide for procedures and remedial actions to be taken where supplies do not meet the standards.

These Regulations identify the national territory of Ireland as the area to which an action programme will be applied to protect water quality against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. The Regulations give further effect to Council Directive 91/676/EEC (the Nitrates Directive) and Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (the Water Framework Directive).