EU court finds Ireland in breach of waste regulations

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Ireland has failed to comply with its obligations under EU waste regulations.

In a judgment published today, the court ruled that Ireland had breached a 1975 directive by failing to ensure that all municipal landfills have a proper permit.

The court said Irish officials had tolerated unauthorised activities in numerous locations, often over long periods of time, and this in turn had led to further breaches of EU law in the area of public health and the environment.

The ruling follows 12 complaints to the European Commission between 1997 and 2000 concerning waste management in Ireland.