26 April 2005
Green
Party says European judgment on
waste directive a damning indictment of Irish Government
The Green Party has today
described the European Court of Justice judgment against Ireland as “a damning indictment of the Irish Government’s mishandling of waste issues”.
Green Party Environment
spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD stated that, “Local Authorities and private
operators are criticised in this judgment. Breaches of the Waste Directive have
occurred in counties from Cork to Donegal. Ultimately however it is the Minister
for the Environment who must take responsibility for this serious and sustained
criticism of the Irish Government’s handling of waste issues. I believe
breaches of the Directive are still occurring around the country.”
“This judgment was made
regarding the 1975 Waste Directive. There are currently proceedings being taken
against Ireland under two other Directives: the 1976 Dangerous Substances
Directive and the 1979 Wild Birds Directive. In addition the Commission has
declared its intent to go to the European Court of Justice with proceedings
regarding three other Directives:
-Quality of Shellfish
Directive 1979
-Environmental Impact
Assessment Directive 1985
-Habitats Directive 1992.”
“The Irish Government must
start to take environmental issues seriously, and the buck has to stop with Dick
Roche, the Minister for the Environment. Only two weeks ago the European
Commission decided to pursue legal action against Ireland for breaches of EU
environmental law, failing to implement the EU Framework Directive on Waste in
respect of malodours from sewage treatment plants, for improper implementation
of the directive on Environmental Impact Statements, and for failure to provide
information on the regulation of substances that deplete the ozone layer. This
confirms Ireland's status as the environmental delinquent of Europe and the
Irish Government's cavalier attitude towards EU directives.”
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