European Union (Water Policy) Regulations 2014

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 350/2014
• Year: 2014

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 29th July, 2014.

I, ALAN KELLY, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) and for the purpose of giving further effect to Directive 2000/60/EC1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Union (Water Policy) Regulations 2014.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations—

“Committee” means the Water Policy Advisory Committee;

“Department” means the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government;

“Minister” means the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government;

“principal Regulations” means the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003 ( S.I. No. 722 of 2003 ).

The Water Policy Advisory Committee

3. (1) A body to be known as the Water Policy Advisory Committee shall be established to perform the functions assigned to it by or under these Regulations.

(2) The functions of the Committee shall be—

(a) to advise the Minister on policy in relation to:

(i) the preparation of river basin management plans,

(ii) the establishment of environmental objectives in relation to river basin districts,

(iii) the preparation of programmes of measures to achieve the environmental objectives,

(iv) other related matters concerning the protection and management of the aquatic environment and water resources; and

(b) to promote appropriate activities necessary to support the achievement of the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.

(3) The Committee shall consist of representatives of:

(a) the Minister;

(b) the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine;

(c) the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources;

(d) the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht;

(e) the Minister for Health;

(f) the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(g) the County and City Management Association;

(h) the Chairman of the Commissioners of Public Works;

(i) the Chairperson of the Commissioners for Energy Regulation;

(j) any other organisation or body as the Minister may determine.

(4) The chairperson of the Committee shall be a representative of the Minister.

(5) The secretary of the Committee shall be an officer of the Department.

(6) The Minister may request an organisation or body to nominate such numbers of persons as he or she shall specify to represent that organisation or body on the Committee.

Amendments to the Principal Regulations

4. The principal Regulations are amended by substituting for Article 6 the following:

“(1) The competent authorities specified in Article 3 of the Directive in relation to a river basin district are:

(a) the Minister for the purposes of the establishment of environmental objectives and programmes of measures and the making of river basin management plans;

(b) the EPA for the purposes of reporting to the European Commission, reviewing the impact of human activities on the status of water and for such other functions as are assigned by these Regulations; and

(c) local authorities for the purposes of regional coordination, public consultation, the development and implementation of river basin management plans and programmes of measures with respect to their functional areas and for such other functions as are assigned by these Regulations.

(2) The EPA, supported by the relevant local authorities, shall advise and assist the Minister in the establishment of environmental objectives, programmes of measures and the making of the river basin management plans required under paragraph (1)(a), and shall put in place the necessary working arrangements with local authorities and such other public authorities as it considers appropriate in order to facilitate this work.

(3) Local authorities shall provide support and assistance to the Minister and the EPA in the characterisation of river basin districts, the establishment of environmental objectives, the making of the river basin management plans and in the development of programmes of measures with respect to their functional areas.

(4) A public authority so requested by the EPA shall co-operate with the EPA in undertaking these tasks.

(5) The Minister shall take such measures as he or she considers appropriate to facilitate regional coordination through the establishment of Regional Water Framework Directive Offices.

(6) A local authority specified in the Third Schedule shall continue as coordinating authority in relation to a river basin district and shall act...