Buan lonadaiocht Permanent Representation
na hEireann of Ireland

chuig an Aontas Eorpach

 

t@ the\BEuropean Union
, HE LASPTIYNG ni

Mogens Peter Carl
Director General

DG Environment
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium

23 August 2007

Re: European Court of Justice Judgment in case C-282/02 Commission-v-
Ireland
Infringements References 1994/4274 1990/5220 1990/0961 1994/4077

Dear Director General

I have been asked by my authorities to refer to the Ireland’s response dated 25 May
2007 to the Commission’s Reasoned Opinion dated 21 March 2007 (reference SG-
Greffe (2007) D/201419) with regard to the measures taken by Ireland to comply the
judgment in Case C-282/02, concerning Ireland’s implementation of Council
Directive 76/464/EEC on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances
discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community (now Directive
2006/11/EC ofthe European Parliament and ofthe Council).

In that correspondence it was indicated that a copy of a consultation document to be
issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to proposed
environmental quality standards (EQS) for surface water classification would be
transmitted to the Commission. A copy of the document which issued for public
consultation on 31 July 2007 is enclosed. The document contains the following:

e The classification systems developed to date for Biological Quality elements

e Proposed EQS values for General Components (Physico-Chemical)

®e Proposed EQS values developed to date for Specific Relevant Pollutants

e Draft EOS for priority substances as proposed by the European Commission.
I have also been asked to enclose the Screening Regulatory Impact Assessment of the
proposed Surface Water Classification Regulations including EQS which issued with
the consultation document.
The EPA has requested that comments in relation to the consultation document should

be submitted by 27 September 2007. Following the consultation process the EPA will
make recommendations to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local

REPRESENTATION PERMANENTE DE L'IRLANDE AUPRES DE L’UNION EUROPEENNE
Rue Froissart 89-93, 1040 Bruxelles Tel. 02 2368580 Fax 02 230 32 03

Government. The Minister will make the Classification Regulations by the end of
2007 to establish the class boundaries and EQS needed to give effect to the new
Water Framework Directive surface-water classification systems. A draft copy of
these Regulations will be informally submitted to the Commission prior to their
enactment.

Yours sincerely

Environment Counsellor
cc

Legal Services
DG Environment