Ireland NOT required by EU to implement water charges on households
| 21 Nov 2014: posted by the editor - Ireland | |
|
Kathy Sinnott, an MEP from 2004 to 2009 and member of the European Parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee says Ireland is not required by the EU Water Framework Directive to apply a charge for domestic water supply. Ireland has an exemption from applying charges under the Directive—and is in fact the only EU state to have such an exemption. It is written into the Directive and annot be withdrawn by the EU and can only be cancelled should the Irish government choose to withdraw from the exemption. EU directives are binding. Member states must implement them through national legislation. Article 9 of the water framework directive requires charging for domestic water. There is one exemption. It is known within the European Commission as the “Irish Exemption” because it was won by the Irish and only Ireland qualifies for it. It is found in article 9.4 of the directive. Known as the 'Irish exemption', the relevant passage in the Water Framework Directive reads: "The Regulations (article 11) require local authorities to comply with the provisions of Article 9 of the Directive in relation to the recovery of the costs of water services, having regard to Ireland’s position in relation Article 9.4 of the Directive, as stated in the minutes of the Environment Council which adopted the Directive, and on which basis Ireland supported its adoption i.e. that the provisions of Article 9.4 in relation to “established practices” permits the continued exemption from water charges of the domestic sector in Ireland." The agreement was won during the course of Bertie Ahern's premiership. Tags: water charges |
|
|
|
| Name: | Remember me |
| E-mail: | (optional) |
| Smile: |         |
| Captcha |  |