Transposition into Irish Law ofDirective 2003/35/EC

This "Discussion Basis to Inform a Submission by Comhar, the National Sustainable Development Partnership, to the Department of the Environment on the Implementation in Ireland of Directive 2003/35/EC on Public Participation and Access to Justice" was informed by a workshop held in ENFO in June2005 for practitioners in the environmental NGO sector. The disussion document is critical of the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001-2002. In the view of the author, the Regulations placed barriers to public participation through the imposition of a fee to engage in the EIA process, restrictions on those who could appeal decisions, and required an increase in the interest required to obtain leave to bring Judicial Reviews.