The European Commission has filed a lawsuit against Ireland for violating peat extraction regulations
The European Commission has referred Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to fully comply with EU legislation regarding environmental impact assessments for peat extraction.
This concerns an EU directive that requires an environmental assessment for projects capable of causing significant harm to the environment.
The European Commission notes that Ireland amended its legislation following a 1999 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, but in practice, a significant portion of peat extraction projects still do not undergo the required environmental impact assessment.
In 2019, Brussels initiated proceedings regarding a possible violation of EU law. Despite some progress and the suspension of operations at some peat industry enterprises, the European Commission considers the measures taken to be insufficient.
Of particular concern is peat extraction on plots of up to 50 hectares, where, according to the EC, environmental assessments are often not conducted. It is also noted that local authorities are not taking appropriate measures regarding the identified violations.
In light of this, the European Commission has decided to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Source: European Commission.
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