WRITTEN QUESTION P-0919/02 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Pollution of Lough Sheelin, County Cavan, Ireland.
Date: 2002-03-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, decontamination, infringement procedure (EU), lake, pollution from agricultural sources

C 205 E/238

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

This project was adopted during the 1st Monitoring Committee meeting in November 1994 with a total
budget of € 50 160 000. The implementation period foreseen was until October 1998.

However, considering the highly complex nature of the project it was agreed to extend the implementation
period originally foreseen until the first semester of 2001. Its total budget was adjusted to € 59 691 031, in
order to cover a number of additional software applications.

The Monitoring Committee of
informed the Commission that
the Operational Programme has
implementation of the TAXIS project as a whole has already been completed in the first semester of
2001 according to the timetable agreed.

A full
implementation report for the Operational Programme as a whole and the TAXIS project in
particular is expected by the Commission before the end of June 2002. This report that will contain
qualitative and quantitative data will be presented by the Greek authorities on the occasion of the
presentation of the final payment request and the closure of the programme.

(2002/C 205 E/261)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0919/02

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Pollution of Lough Sheelin, County Cavan, Ireland

(26 March 2002)

Is the Commission aware of the seriously polluted state of Lough Sheelin, County Cavan, Ireland. That
scientific evidence shows this to be the result of phosphate enrichment, mainly from agricultural run-off,
which is inhibiting the growth of carophytes, protected under EU law as essential for the growth and
development of wild brown trout as well as other forms of wildlife.

What action has the Commission taken to ensure that the Irish Government is taking the requisite steps to
restore Lough Sheelin to an unpolluted state?

Will the Commission formally notify the Irish Government of its concerns about Lough Sheelin and the
Government’s negligence in the matter?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2002)

The Commission is aware of the seriously polluted state of Lough Sheelin. It is one of a number of Irish
lakes suffering from eutrophication (i.e. nutrient enrichment, principally due to the substance phosphorus).
the Commission notified a Reasoned Opinion to Ireland (1) with regard to the
On 28 July 2000,
Community’s Dangerous Substances Directive (2), which provides for pollution reduction programmes for
phosphorus. It cited Lough Sheelin as an example of a water body where there had been a failure to
achieve phosphorus reduction. Since then, the Irish authorities have adopted further measures, including
agricultural bye-laws. It may also be mentioned that, in 2001, the Commission submitted a case against
Ireland before the European Court of Justice (3) for inadequate implementation of the Community’s Nitrates
Directive (4), which requires measures to manage animal manures to the extent that they contribute to
problems of nitrate pollution. Since then, there are indications that Ireland is contemplating a country-
wide application of this Directive. By requiring tighter controls on the use of manures, such an application
should have benefits for lakes such as Lough Sheelin.

(1) Procedure A 1990/5220.
(2) Council Directive 76/464/EEC of 4 May 1976 on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into

the aquatic environment of the Community, OJ L 129, 18.5.1976.

(3) Case C-396/01.
(4) Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused

by nitrates from agricultural sources, OJ L 375, 31.12.1991.