COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - IRELAND Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Environmental Implementation Review for prosperity and security
Date: 2025-07-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Ireland, application of EU law, biodiversity, circular economy, climate change policy, environmental law, governance, pollution control measures, waste management

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 7.7.2025  SWD(2025) 313 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Environmental Implementation Review      Country Report - IRELAND             Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Environmental Implementation Review for prosperity and security {COM(2025) 420 final} - {SWD(2025) 300 final} - {SWD(2025) 301 final} - {SWD(2025) 302 final} - {SWD(2025) 303 final} - {SWD(2025) 304 final} - {SWD(2025) 305 final} - {SWD(2025) 306 final} - {SWD(2025) 307 final} - {SWD(2025) 308 final} - {SWD(2025) 309 final} - {SWD(2025) 310 final} - {SWD(2025) 311 final} - {SWD(2025) 312 final} - {SWD(2025) 314 final} - {SWD(2025) 315 final} - {SWD(2025) 316 final} - {SWD(2025) 317 final} - {SWD(2025) 318 final} - {SWD(2025) 319 final} - {SWD(2025) 320 final} - {SWD(2025) 321 final} - {SWD(2025) 322 final} - {SWD(2025) 323 final} - {SWD(2025) 324 final} - {SWD(2025) 325 final} - {SWD(2025) 326 final}  
 
 
Ireland  2 

Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 3 

PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ...................................................................................................................................... 5 

1. CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................. 5 
Transitioning to a circular economy ..................................................................................................................... 5 
Waste management ............................................................................................................................................. 7 
2. BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL CAPITAL ........................................................................................................................... 13 
Global and EU biodiversity frameworks ............................................................................................................. 13 
Nature protection and restoration – Natura 2000 ............................................................................................. 13 
Recovery of species ............................................................................................................................................ 16 
Recovery of ecosystems ..................................................................................................................................... 17 
Prevention and management of invasive alien species ...................................................................................... 23 
Ecosystem assessment and accounting ............................................................................................................. 24 
3. ZERO POLLUTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 
Clean air ............................................................................................................................................................. 25 
Industrial emissions ............................................................................................................................................ 26 
Major industrial accidents prevention – Seveso ................................................................................................. 28 
Mercury Regulation ............................................................................................................................................ 30 
Noise .................................................................................................................................................................. 30 
Water quality and management ........................................................................................................................ 31 
Chemicals ........................................................................................................................................................... 34 
4. CLIMATE ACTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 
The EU emissions trading system ....................................................................................................................... 38 
Effort sharing ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 
Land use, land-use change and forestry ............................................................................................................. 39 
Adaptation to climate change ............................................................................................................................ 39 

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK – IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ............................................................................ 41 

5. FINANCING ............................................................................................................................................................. 41 
Climate finance landmarks ................................................................................................................................. 41 
Environmental financing and investments ......................................................................................................... 41 
Public financial management ............................................................................................................................. 46 
6. ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................................. 50 
Information, public participation and access to justice...................................................................................... 50 
Compliance assurance ........................................................................................................................................ 53 
EU-supported environmental capacity building ................................................................................................. 56 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
Ireland  3 

Executive summary

In  May  2016,  the  European  Commission  launched  the 
Implementation  Review,  a  regular 
Environmental 
reporting  tool  based  on  analysis,  dialogue  and 
collaboration  with  EU  Member  States  to  improve  the 
implementation of existing EU environmental policy and 
legislation (1).  Following  previous  cycles  in  2017,  2019 
and 2022, this report assesses the progress made while 
describing  the  main  outstanding  challenges  and 
opportunities 
legal 
implementation in Ireland. The purpose of this report is 
to  provide 
implementation 
performance  and  highlight  the  most  effective  ways  to 
address  the  implementation  gaps  that  impact  human 
health and the environment and hamper the economic 
development  and competitiveness of the country. The 
report  relies  on  detailed  sectoral 
implementation 
reports  collected  or  issued  by  the  Commission  under 
specific environmental legislation. 

information  on 

environmental 

regarding 

the 

The main challenges set out below have been selected 
from Part I of this report, ‘Thematic areas’, taking into 
consideration  factors  such  as  the  gravity  of  the 
environmental  implementation  issue  in  light  of  the 
impact on the quality of life of citizens, the distance to 
implications.  In  Ireland,  such 
target  and  financial 
challenges  have  been 
first 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  in  2017  and 
require urgent action. 

lingering  since 

the 

incineration  and 

Urgent  reforms  and  investments  in  the  waste  sector 
and the circular economy are still needed to move away 
increase  capture  rates  of 
from 
recyclable  waste  in  the  separate  collection  system. 
Ireland is at risk of missing the recycling target for plastic 
packaging  waste.  The  situation  is  also  of  concern  in 
terms of general trends, as the waste recycling rate has 
not  improved over the last  five years and Ireland is at 
risk of missing the 2025 recycling targets for municipal 
waste. In addition, the circular material use rate remains 
significantly lower than the EU average. 

With  regard  to  biodiversity  and  nature, there  are  still 
deficiencies in the designation of Natura 2000 sites for 
marine habitats and species, as well as slow progress in 
identifying,  selecting  and  classifying  marine  special 
protection  areas  under  the  Birds  Directive.  This  is  of 
particular  concern  given  the  ambitious  plans  for 
developing renewables in offshore waters. Ireland has 
significant  conservation  issues  in  special  protection 
areas and the wider landscape. Examples of such issues 

are  the  dramatic  decline  in  waders,  particularly  the 
curlew and dunlin, and the insufficient protection of the 
hen  harrier.  Despite  the  existence  of  a  number  of 
financial 
instruments  supporting  projects  for  the 
conservation of raised and blanket bog special areas of 
conservation, there are still serious concerns over their 
conservation. The situation for forested areas protected 
under  the  Nature  Directives  is  also  still  concerning,  as 
over  half  of  assessments  indicate  bad  conservation 
status. 

and 

decades 

infrastructure 

On water management, urban waste water collected in 
Ireland is not being properly treated as required by EU 
law.  Ageing 
of 
underinvestment  have  adversely  affected  water 
services.  There  is  a  low  rate  of  compliance  with  the 
Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive due to the large 
number of non-compliant agglomerations. With regard 
to drinking water, the Court of Justice of the European 
Union  produced  a  judgment  against  Ireland  for  its 
failure to ensure that the levels of trihalomethanes in 30 
drinking water supply zones were safe. The Commission 
is  following  up  on  Ireland’s  implementation  of  this 
judgment. 

Ireland’s  overall  environmental  investment  gap  is 
EUR 3.3 billion  per  year,  representing  0.66  %  of  the 
national GDP, being lower than the EU average (0.77 %). 
The highest  shares are  for water, pollution prevention 
and  control,  and  circular  economy  and  waste.  It  is 
necessary to ensure an increased level of financing, and 
further  exploit  opportunities  in  private  financing  to 
close investment gaps.  

On  environmental  governance,  Ireland  still  needs  to 
improve its system for access to justice in environmental 
matters.  The  Commission  had  already  highlighted  this 
issue in previous reports. Ireland adopted the Planning 
and Development  Act 2024,  which  includes  a  financial 
assistance  mechanism  for  environmental–legal  costs. 
The implementing regulations are still awaited. Hence, 
it  is  too  early  to  conclude  if  the  recent  legislative 
development is enough to reduce costs as a significant 
hurdle  to  access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters. 
The  provision  of  better  information  to  the  public  on 
their access to justice rights is still necessary, and so is 
the 
identification  and  prevention,  via  appropriate 
means, of strategic lawsuits against public participation 
designed  to  deter  legitimate  environmental  access  to 
justice. 

(1) 

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European 
Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Delivering the 
benefits  of  EU  environmental  policies  through  a  regular 

environmental  implementation  review,  COM(2016) 316 
final  of  27 May  2016,  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2016%3A316%3AFIN. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
On  the  positive  side,  there  are  some  good  practices, 
such  as  recent  actions  in  favour  of  the  protection  of 
blanket  bog  habitats.  For  example,  the  financial 
instrument  for  the  environment’s  integrated  ‘Wild 
Atlantic  nature’  project  was  the  2024  winner  in  the 

category ‘Working together for nature’ of the European 
Natura 2000 Award. This results-based payment scheme 
for farmers in Ireland is a convincing demonstration of 
how farmers can be paid fairly and effectively to protect 
Natura 2000 sites and habitats.  

Ireland  4 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
Ireland  5 

Part I: Thematic areas 

1. Circular economy and waste management

Transitioning to a circular economy 

Advancing the transition to a circular economy in the EU 
will reduce the environmental and climate impact of our 
industrial  systems  by  reducing  input  materials,  keeping 
products and materials in the loop for longer and reducing 
waste generation, thus decoupling economic growth from 
circular  economy  has 
resource 
considerable  potential  to  increase  competitiveness  and 
job creation and will also promote innovation and provide 
access to new markets. With the 2020 circular  economy 
action  plan  (CEAP) (2)  measures  either 
in  place  or 
legislatively  advanced,  Member  States  will  now  have  to 
focus on a swift and effective implementation. 

consumption.  A 

The 2020 CEAP launched the legislative process for a set 
of  initiatives  that  will  now  have  to  be  implemented  by 
national  governments  across  the  EU.  These  initiatives 
were all introduced following a holistic life-cycle approach, 
with  measures  addressing  the  different  stages  of  a 
product’s life cycle, from design through use to end of life. 

In the CEAP, the EU sets as its overarching objective the 
doubling of its circular material use rate (CMUR) by 2030. 

The CMUR is a  measure of one aspect of circularity: the 
share of the total amount of material used in the economy 
that is accounted for by recycled waste.  A higher CMUR 
value means that more secondary materials were used as 
a  substitute  for  raw  materials,  thus  reducing  the 
environmental impacts of extracting primary material. 

Ireland’s circular use of material has been relatively steady 
in  the  last  10 years  and  well  below  the  EU  average.  The 
rate  stood  at  2.3 %  in  2023,  against  the  EU  average  of 
11.8 %  (Figure 1).  This  makes  Ireland  the  Member  State 
with the second lowest CMUR, with only Romania having 
a lower CMUR.  

Figure 1: CMUR (%), 2013–2023 

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

2013

2015

2017

2019

2021

2023

Ireland

EU-27

Source: Eurostat, ‘Circular material use rate’, env_ac_cur,  last updated 
13 November 
2024, 
accessed 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/env_ac_cur. 

10 December 

2024, 

Resource  productivity  measures  the  total  amount  of 
materials directly used by an economy in relation to gross 
domestic product (GDP). Improving resource productivity 
can help to minimise negative impacts on the environment 
and reduce dependency on volatile raw material markets.  
As shown in figure 2,  Ireland’s resource productivity has 
been  rising  steadily  since  2015,  with  a  strong  upward 
trend  between  2019  and  2023,  with  EUR 4.0196 
generated per kg of material consumed in 2023, against 
the EU average of EUR 2.23 per kg. 

Figure 2: Resource productivity (EUR/kg), 2013–2023 

5,0

4,0

3,0

2,0

1,0

0,0

2013

2015

2017

2019

2021

2023

Ireland

EU-27

NB: The unit of measurement used is EUR/kg chain-linked volume (2015). 
Chain-linked  volumes  focus  on  changes  on  quantities  and  prices  of 
commodities  in  previous  years,  taking  account  of  inflation,  and  are 
indexed to the nearest appropriate year, in this case 2015. 

(2) 

from 

the  Commission 

the  European 
Communication 
Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions –  A  new  circular 
economy action plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe, 

to 

COM(2020) 98 
lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A98%3AFIN. 

11 March 

2020, 

final 

of 

https://eur-

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Source: Eurostat, ‘Circular material use rate’, env_ac_cur,  last updated 
13 November 
2024, 
accessed 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/env_ac_cur. 

10 December 

2024, 

Policies and measures 

In  parallel  with  European  initiatives  under  the  CEAP, 
Member States are encouraged to adopt and implement 
circular strategies at the national, regional and city levels. 
These should be tailored to each national and local reality, 
to  harness  the  proximity  economy’s (3)  potential,  while 
following  the  principles  of  a  holistic  whole-value-chain 
approach. 

Since the launch of the online European Circular Economy 
Stakeholder  Platform  in  2017 (4)  national,  regional  and 
local  authorities  have  used  the  platform  to  share  their 
strategies,  roadmaps  and  good  practices,  for  example 
alternative business models and innovative technologies. 

Ireland  adopted  its  Circular  Economy  and  Miscellaneous 
Provisions Act in 2022 (5), as a follow-up of its first national 
whole  of  government  circular  economy  strategy  of 
2021 (6). A second iteration of the strategy, which provides 
the  overall  vision  and  policy  approach  for  the  country’s 
transition  to  a  circular  economy,  was  set  for  the  end  of 
2024  and  was  to  include  sectoral  targets  and  sector-
specific circularity roadmaps. 

This act provides the first definition of circular economy in 
Irish domestic law. Among other things, it incentivises the 
use of reusable and recyclable alternatives to  disposable 
products,  establishes  a  dedicated  fund  for  circular 
economy, and places several pieces of legislation related 
to the circular economy on statutory footing. 

Ireland’s  national  waste  prevention  programme  (NWPP) 
has  been 
into  a  circular  economy 
programme  for  2021–2027 (7),  setting  as  priorities  the 
same product groups identified in the 2020 EU CEAP. 

reconfigured 

At  the  regional 
its 
level,  Ireland  West 
involvement  in  the  circular  cities  and  regions  initiative, 
currently developing a regional CEAP. 

is,  through 

(3) 

(4) 

(5)      

(6) 

Commission 

European Commission, ‘Proximity and social economy ecosystem’, 
European 
https://single-market-
economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/proximity-and-social-
economy_en. 
Circular 
(https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/strategies). 

Stakeholder 

Economy 

Platform 

website, 

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/act/26/enacted/en/ht
ml. 
Department  of  the  Environment,  Climate  and  Communications, 
Whole  of  Government  Circular  Economy  Strategy  2022–2023 – 
2022, 
using 
Living 
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b542d-whole-of-
government-circular-economy-strategy-2022-2023-living-more-
using-less/. 

Dublin, 

more, 

less, 

Ireland  6 

Finally, Ireland has adopted a national waste management 
plan for a circular economy for 2024–2030 (8). It sets out a 
framework for the prevention and management of waste 
in Ireland in that period. 

It is worth mentioning that support is provided by the JTF 
programme  for  measures  that  contribute  to  circular 
economy.  

Green public procurement 

Public  procurement  accounts  for  a  large  proportion  of 
authorities’ 
consumption,  with  public 
European 
purchasing  power  representing  around  14 %  of  EU  GDP. 
Public  procurement  using  green  or  circular  criteria  (life-
cycle analysis, PaaS (platform as a service), second hand) 
can help drive the demand for sustainable products that 
meet reparability and recyclability standards. 

The  Irish  government  published  Buying  Greener:  Green 
Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027 in 
April  2024,  recognising  that  Green  Public  Procurement 
(GPP) will play a key role in driving the implementation of 
green and circular procurement practices across the public 
sector. There is an annex of actions, which contains lead 
and supporting organisations and timelines for action. 

Key focus areas include measures for the progress of GPP 
implementation in the public sector, GPP monitoring and 
reporting,  GPP  training  and  awareness,  and  further 
development  of  national  GPP  guidance  and  criteria.  In 
addition, the strategy sets out how market engagement, 
research  and 
international 
innovation,  and  EU  and 
initiatives on GPP will be addressed. The strategy has a key 
sectoral focus, with related GPP targets included. 

There are reports on GPP implementation by government 
departments (of which there are 18) for reference years 
2020 (9),  2021 (10)  and  2022 (11).  The  government’s  GPP 
strategy  and  action  plan  (published  in  2024)  introduces 
reporting obligations across the public sector. 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

(11) 

www.epa.ie/publications/circular-economy/resources/the-
circular-economy-programme-2021-2027.php. 
https://mywaste.ie/sustainability/circular-living/national-waste-
management-plan-for-a-circular-economy-2024-2030/. 
https://www.epa.ie/publications/circular-
economy/resources/green-public-procurement-monitoring-and-
reporting-by-government-departments-.php. 
https://www.epa.ie/publications/circular-
economy/resources/green-public-procurement-monitoring-and-
reporting-2021.php. 
https://www.epa.ie/publications/circular-
economy/resources/gpp-monitoring--reporting-by-gov-depts-
2022.php. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
The  EU  Ecolabel  and  the  eco-management  and  audit 
scheme 

The  number  of  EU  Ecolabel  product  groups  and  the 
number  of  eco-management  and  audit  scheme  (EMAS)-
licensed  organisations  in  each  country  provide  some 
indication  of  the  extent  to  which  the  private  sector  and 
national stakeholders in that country are actively engaged 
in the transition to a circular economy. The EU Ecolabel is 
awarded  to  products  with  best-in-class  environmental 
is  a  voluntary  environment 
performance.  EMAS 
management 
the 
scheme 
environmental impacts of organisations. 

reducing 

aimed 

at 

As  of  September  2024,  Ireland  had  148  products  out  of 
98 977, and 19 licences out of 2 983 registered in the EU 
Ecolabel  scheme,  which  represents  a  decrease  since 
2022 (12).  Moreover,  one  organisation  from  Ireland  is 
currently  registered  in  EMAS,  the  same  as  in  October 
2021 (13). 

One  priority  action  suggested  for  Ireland  in  the  2022 
environmental implementation review (EIR) report was to 
adopt  a  circular  economy  strategy.  With  the  policy 
framework 
for  circularity  having  been  particularly 
strengthened in the past two years, this priority action is 
considered fulfilled. 

through 

introduced 

However,  further  work  is  needed  to  fully  implement  all 
actions 
the  country’s  circular 
economy  policy.  The  CMUR  of  Ireland  has  slightly 
increased,  increasing  by  0.2 percentage  points  in  2023. 
This represents slight progress towards the 2022 priority 
action to take measures to increase the rate. 

2025 priority actions 

•  Adopt measures to increase the circular material 

• 

use rate. 
Speed up the transition to a circular economy by 
implementing an updated national strategy and 
the  EU  framework  and  recommendations,  in 
particular  to  complement 
it  with  upstream 
circularity measures. 

Waste management 

Turning waste into a resource is supported by: 

(i)  addressing  the  full  life  cycle  of  products,  from 
conception to end of life, by setting requirements on 
the design of products to ensure that they are more 
sustainable; 

(12) 

European Commission, ‘EU Ecolabel facts and figures’, European 
2025, 
Commission 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/facts-and-
figures.html. 

31 January 

accessed 

website, 

Ireland  7 

(ii)  fully 

implementing  EU  waste 

legislation,  which 
includes the waste hierarchy, the obligation to ensure 
separate collection of waste, landfill diversion targets, 
etc.; 

(iii)  reducing waste generation per capita and in absolute 

terms; 

(iv)  increasing  the  recycling  rates  of  waste  containing 
critical raw materials (CRMs), with a view to reducing 
dependencies and building resilient value chains, and 
stimulating  demand  for  recycled  content 
in  all 
products; 

(v)  limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials; 

and 

(vi)  phasing  out  landfilling  of  recyclable  or  recoverable 

waste. 

One  of  the  main  objectives  of  the  EU  waste  law  is  to 
decouple  economic  growth  from 
its  environmental 
impacts. 

The EU’s approach to waste management is based on the 
waste  treatment  hierarchy:  prevention,  preparing  for 
reuse,  recycling,  recovery  and,  as  the  least  preferred 
option,  disposal 
landfilling  and 
includes 
incineration without energy recovery). 

(which 

All legislative proposals in the field of waste management 
put forward by the Commission since 2021 are intended 
to encourage Member States to promote better product 
design,  to  require  producers  to  cover  the  costs  of 
managing the waste resulting from their products and to 
ensure that waste is managed at the higher levels of the 
waste hierarchy. 

The total amount of waste generated in Ireland decreased 
between 2010 and 2012, but then remained rather stable, 
slightly increasing from 2018 onwards for total waste and 
stagnating when excluding major mineral waste (Figure 3). 
Ireland’s GDP increased significantly over the last 10 years 
covered,  especially  from  2013,  while  waste  generation 
decreased in 2012 and stabilised thereafter, indicating a 
decoupling  of  waste  generation 
from  economic 
development. 

(13) 

As of October 2024 
(https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/emas2/public/registration/list). 
However, it should be noted that several Irish companies have 
International Organization for Standardization accreditation for 
their EMAS. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Figure 3: Generation of waste (total and excluding major 
mineral waste), population and GDP, 2010–2022 

Construction and demolition waste 

Ireland  8 

Construction  and  demolition  waste  accounts  for  almost 
40 % of all waste generated in the EU. A recent study (15) 
by  the  Joint  Research  Centre  shows  that  recycling  and 
preparation for reuse are preferred over incineration and 
landfilling from an environmental perspective for most of 
the  different  streams  of  construction  and  demolition 
waste.  However,  the  economics  are  often  unfavourable 
for  recycling  and  preparation  for  reuse  and  recycling 
compared  with  incineration  and  landfilling.  If  available 
technology  were  to  be  applied,  it  is  estimated  that  an 
increase  in  the  recycling  and  preparation  for  reuse  of 
construction  and  demolition  waste  would  lead  to  an 
additional 33 Mt of GHG emission savings annually (more 
than,  for  example,  the  combined  annual  GHG  emissions 
from Estonia, Latvia and Luxembourg). 

The rate of recycling and preparation for reuse of mineral 
construction and demolition waste in Ireland in 2020 was 
39.7 %,  compared  with  the  EU  average  of  78.1 %. 
Measures  to  further  increase  the  rate  of  recycling  and 
preparation  for  reuse  of  construction  and  demolition 
waste  include  separate  collection  at  the  source –  for 
instance,  through  digitalised  pre-demolition  audits (16) 
producer 
(‘resource 
responsibility  and  other  economic 
instruments;  and 
upstream  measures  such  as  increasing  the  recycled 
content 
in  construction  products  and  the  circular 
design (17) of construction works. 

assessments’); 

extended 

Boosting 
Warning Report 

implementation –  the  2023  Waste  Early 

This  section  focuses  on  the  management  of  municipal 
waste (18),  for  which  EU  law  sets  mandatory  recycling 
targets.  In  June  2023,  the  Commission  published  the 
Waste  Early  Warning  Report (19)  identifying  the  general 
trends in waste management and the Member States at 
risk of missing 2025 waste targets (see Figure 4). Ireland is 
at risk of missing the municipal waste target but not the 
packaging waste target. 

NB: Waste generation data for odd years are interpolated. 

accessed 

15 October 

nama_10_gdp, 

Source: Eurostat, ‘GDP and main components (output, expenditure and 
2024, 
income)’, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_gdp__cust
om_9301905/default/table;  Eurostat,  ‘Generation  of  waste  by  waste 
category,  hazardousness  and  NACE  Rev. 2  activity’,  env_wasgen,  last 
updated 
2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_wasgen/default/
table?lang=en; Eurostat, ‘Population change – Demographic balance and 
crude  rates  at  national  level’,  demo_grind,  accessed  15 October  2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/demo_gind/default/t
able?lang=en&category=demo.demo_ind. 

30 September 

22 October 

accessed 

2024, 

Critical raw materials 

Ireland addressed CRMs back in 2022 through the policy 
statement on mineral exploration and mining concerning 
CRMs for the circular economy transition (14). It sets out a 
framework for policymakers, regulators and stakeholders 
when  making  decisions  that  supports  communities,  the 
environment, the climate and the mineral exploration and 
mining  sectors.  The  policy  for  mineral  exploration  and 
mining  aims  to  ensure  a  stable,  robust  and  transparent 
regulatory framework and maximise the contribution that 
sustainable  exploration  and  mining  can  make  to  Irish 
society, economic development and the transition to net-
zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the supply 
of 
sustainable 
development. The policy is expected to be implemented 
over five years. There is a need to promote technologies 
aimed at replacing CRMs with materials that can be reused 
at  the  end  of  their  life  and  at  using  secondary  raw 
materials. 

raw  materials  necessary 

the 

for 

(14) 

(15) 

(16) 

in 

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/3a2bb-policy-statement-on-
mineral-exploration-and-mining/. 
Joint Research Centre, Cristobal Garcia, J., Caro, D. et al., Techno-
economic  and  environmental  assessment  of  construction  and 
demolition  waste  management 
the  European  Union, 
Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg,  2024, 
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC1354
70. 
European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Internal  Market, 
Industry,  Entrepreneurship  and  SMEs,  EU  Construction  & 
Demolition Waste Management Protocol including guidelines for 
pre-demolition and pre-renovation audits of construction works – 
Updated edition 2024, Publications Office of the European Union, 
Luxembourg,  2024,  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/d63d5a8f-64e8-11ef-a8ba-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en. 

(17) 

European Commission, Circular Economy – Principles for buildings 
2020, 
Brussels, 
design, 
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/39984. 

(18)  Municipal  waste  consists  of  (i)  mixed  waste  and  separately 
collected waste from households, including paper and cardboard, 
glass, metals, plastics, biowaste, wood, textiles, packaging, waste 
electrical  and  electronic  equipment,  waste  batteries  and 
including  mattresses  and 
accumulators,  and  bulky  waste, 
furniture;  and  (ii)  mixed  waste  and  separately  collected  waste 
from  other  sources,  where  such  waste  is  similar  in  nature  and 
composition  to  waste  from  households  (Directive  2008/98/EC, 
Article 3.2b). 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/waste-early-
warning-report_en. 

(19) 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Figure 4:  Member  States’  prospects  of  meeting  the 
preparing  for  reuse  and  recycling  targets  for  municipal 
waste and packaging waste 

Ireland  9 

In  the  Waste  Early  Warning  Report,  the  Commission 
recommended  that  Member  States  accelerate  their 
efforts  to  improve  their  recycling  performance.  The 
Commission  is,  on  one  hand,  working  together  with  the 
national  authorities  and  stakeholders  to  speed  up  the 
implementation  of  measures  necessary  to  meet  the 
targets,  including  through  dedicated  financing.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Commission  is  pursuing  enforcement 
actions against those Member States that, based on data 
submitted to the Commission, do not achieve the targets 
of the Waste Framework Directive (20), the Packaging and 
Packaging Waste Directive (21) and the Directive on Waste 
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (22). 

improve 

issued 
to 

a  number  of  policy 
The  Commission 
recommendations 
Ireland’s  waste 
management  performance (23),  in  particular  the  need  to 
support the preparation for reuse of municipal waste and 
reuse  systems  for  packaging; 
improve  the  separate 
collection of municipal biowaste to increase capture rates, 
prioritising  door-to-door  collection  and  promoting  high-
quality biowaste to  maximise the  potential for recovery; 
and  further  develop  waste  treatment 
infrastructure 
associated with the higher steps of the waste hierarchy, 
including increasing the capacity for treating biowaste and 
supporting home composting. The impact of the recently 
introduced waste recovery levy, which aims to incentivise 
the segregation of waste for recycling, remains to be seen, 
and so is the impact of the implementation of economic 
instruments,  such  as  incineration  taxes,  to  incentivise 
recycling and reduce dependency on waste incineration. 

Municipal waste 

After  a  decline  between  2010  and  2012,  Irish  municipal 
waste generation per capita increased between 2014 and 
2020 (Figure 5). Waste composition analysis done in 2018 
and  2022  indicate  that  the  increase  is  mainly  due  to 
growth in packaging waste (24). In 2020, Ireland generated 
644 kg per capita of municipal waste, which is significantly 
above the estimated EU-27 average of 520 kg per capita in 
the same year. 

Figure 5:  Municipal  waste  management  and  recycling 
(including preparation for reuse), 2010–2022 

Member  States  not  at  risk  of  missing  the  55 % 
preparing for reuse and recycling target for municipal 
waste  and  the  65 %  recycling  target  for  packaging 
waste 

Member  States  at  risk  of  missing  the  preparing  for 
reuse  and  recycling  target  for  municipal  waste  but 
not  at  risk  of  missing  the  recycling  target  for 
packaging waste 

Member States at risk of missing both targets 

Outside coverage 

Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), ‘Many EU Member States 
not on track to meet recycling targets for municipal waste and packaging 
waste’, briefing No 28/2022, Copenhagen, 2023. Reference data © ESRI. 

Under  certain  conditions,  EU  waste  legislation  enables 
some  Member  States  to  postpone  the  deadlines  for 
reaching certain waste management targets for municipal 
and packaging waste. Member States that want to use this 
possibility  have  to  notify  the  Commission  24 months  in 
advance  of  the  deadline  and  submit  an  implementation 
plan  laying  down  the  steps  they  envisage  to  reach  the 
postponed targets within a new timeframe. Regarding the 
2025  targets,  11  Member  States,  not  including  Ireland, 
have used this prerogative. 

(20)   Directive  2008/98/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  19  November  2008  on  waste  and  repealing  certain 
Directives, Directive - 2008/98 - EN - Waste framework directive - 
EUR-Lex. 

(21)   European  Parliament  and  Council  Directive  94/62/EC  of  20 
December  1994  on  packaging  and  packaging  waste  (OJ  L  365, 
31/12/1994, p. 10–23), Directive - 94/62 - EN - EUR-Lex. 

(22)   Directive  2012/19/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  4 July  2012  on  waste  electrical  and  electronic 
equipment  (WEEE)  (OJ  L 197,  24.7.2012,  p. 38),  Directive  - 

(23) 

(24) 

- 

- 

EN 

EUR-Lexhttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

2012/19 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32012L0019. 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/0fbf46b7-034e-11ee-87ec-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en. 
Irish  Environmental  Protection  Agency 
information 
provided  during  the  Eionet  review  of  the  draft  European 
Environment Agency (EEA) country profile on waste management 
for Ireland, 2024. 

(EPA), 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ireland  10 

around  41 %  in  2020,  which  is  slightly  below  the  EU 
average (48 %) in the same year. 

Ireland’s  landfill  rate  steadily  decreased  between  2010 
and  2018  (16 %)  and  has  since  remained  stable.  This 
decrease corresponded almost entirely to the diversion of 
waste  to  incineration (25),  with  the  incineration  rate  in 
Ireland  increasing  significantly  over  the  past  few  years, 
reaching 42 % in 2020. According to information provided 
by  the  Irish  Environmental  Protection  Agency  (EPA) (26), 
the recycling rate in 2021 remained at the same level as in 
2020. 

The  data  shown  in  Figure 6  might  differ  from  the  data 
reported by the Irish authorities to show compliance with 
the  preparing  for  reuse  and  recycling  target  of  55 %  by 
2025,  as  laid  down  in  the  Waste  Framework  Directive. 
Ireland  reported  a  (provisional)  preparing  for  reuse  and 
recycling rate in response to the target of above 40 % for 
reference year 2021, while such data are not yet available 
for reference year 2022 (27). 

Packaging waste 

in 

Packaging  waste  generation 
Ireland  significantly 
increased  from  189 kg  per  capita  in  2010  to  234 kg  per 
capita  in  2022.  This  is  significantly  above  the  estimated 
European  average  of  186 kg  per  capita  in  the  same 
year (28). Plastic and paper and cardboard packaging were 
the biggest  shares of waste, and the ones that  grew the 
most. 

Figure 7: Packaging waste generation, 2010–2022 

2025, 

(EEA), 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/waste-and-
recycling/municipal-and-packaging-waste-management-country-
profiles 

available 

at:  

(28) 

The  EU  average  might  have  been  influenced by  not  all  Member 
States fully  applying  the  reporting  rules for  packaging  waste  set 
out in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/665. 

NB: There is a break in the series in 2020. There are no data available for 
2013, 2015, 2021 and 2022. 

Source:  Eurostat,  ‘Municipal  waste  by  waste  management  operations’, 
2024, 
env_wasmun, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASMUN/defa
ult/table. 

22 October 

accessed 

Figure 6: Recycling (including preparation for reuse) and 
landfill rates (%), 2010–2022 

NB: There is a break in the series in 2020. There are no data available for 
2013, 2015,  2021  and 2022. As of  reference  year  2020,  new  reporting 
rules  apply  to  calculating  recycled  municipal  waste  pursuant  to  the 
targets laid down in Article 11(2)(c–e) of Directive 2008/98/EC. Ireland 
has applied the new reporting rules in reference year 2020 and onwards, 
which led to the break in the series in 2020. 

Source:  Eurostat,  ‘Municipal  waste  by  waste  management  operations’, 
env_wasmun, 
2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASMUN/defa
ult/table. 

22 October 

accessed 

The rate of preparing for reuse and recycling of municipal 
waste  shows  a  stagnating  trend  in  Ireland  (Figure 6), 

(25) 

(26) 

(27) 

Agency 

ETC/CE,  2022,  Ireland-Early  Warning  Assessment  Related  to  the 
2025  Targets  for  Municipal  and  Packaging  Waste,  European 
Environment 
(EEA) 
(https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/many-eu-member-
states/ireland/view).   
EPA, information provided during the Eionet  review of the draft 
EEA country profile on waste management for Ireland, 2024. 
Country profile on waste management with a focus on municipal 
and  packaging  waste  –  Ireland,  European  Environment  Agency 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

0100200 00 00500 00 00 g per capita ncinera on and llMaterial recycling and preparing for reuseCompos ng and diges on aste generated 
 
 
 
 
 
Source:  Eurostat,  ‘Pac aging  waste  by  waste  management  operations’, 
env_waspac, last updated 23 October 2024, accessed 28 October 2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASPAC__cust
om_842634/default/table?lang=en. 

Figure 8: Packaging waste recycling rates (%), 2010–2022 

NB: There is a break in the series for the plastic and paper and cardboard 
packaging recycling rates in 2019. As of reference year 2020, the rules for 
calculating  recycled  packaging  waste  have  changed,  pursuant  to 
Article 6(a) of Directive 94/62/EC. Ireland has applied the new calculation 
rules since reference year 2019. 

Source:  Eurostat,  ‘Pac aging  waste  by  waste  management  operations’, 
env_waspac, last updated 23 October 2024, accessed 28 October 2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASPAC__cust
om_842634/default/table?lang=en. 

Ireland’s overall packaging waste recycling rate decreased 
by 4 percentage points between 2010 and 2022; however, 
the decrease in 2019 is likely to be due to the application 
of  the  new  and  stricter  calculation  rules  related  to  the 
2025  targets  and  an 
in  packaging  waste 
increase 
generation without recycling keeping up with this growth. 
The recycling rate was 62 % in 2022, indicating a change in 
trend  compared  with  2021.  The  distribution  of  the 
material  categories 
in  packaging  waste  have  varied 
considerably  over  the  last  12 years.  The  overall  Irish 
packaging waste recycling rate is mainly driven by paper 
and  cardboard,  as  well  as  plastic.  The  recycling  rates  of 
both types of packaging waste have moderately decreased 
since  2010.  In  2022,  the  recycling  rates  of  plastic  and 
aluminium packaging waste were below the 2025 targets, 
while  the  rates  were  above  the  targets  for  paper  and 
cardboard, glass, steel and wooden packaging. 

Policies to encourage waste prevention 

Waste  management  plans  and  waste  prevention 
programmes are instrumental to the full implementation 
of  EU  waste  legislation.  They  set  out  key  provisions  and 
investments to ensure compliance with existing and new 
legal requirements (e.g. on waste prevention, on separate 
collection for certain waste streams, on recycling and on 
landfill targets). 

The waste action plan for a circular economy initiated the 
reconfiguration  of  the  NWPP  into  the  strategic  circular 

Ireland  11 

economy programme and, since 2021, Ireland’s NWPP has 
been integrated into the circular economy programme for 
2021–2027.  The  vision  for  the  programme  is  an  Ireland 
where  the  circular  economy  ensures  that  everyone  uses 
to  achieve 
fewer 
sustainable economic growth. No financial budget for the 
implementation of the NWPP is specified. 

resources  and  prevents  waste 

Ireland’s  commitment 

The Irish  government  published the  national  food  waste 
prevention roadmap for 2023–2025 in November 2022 to 
support 
to  UN  sustainable 
development goal 12.3. The roadmap sets out key actions, 
timelines, as well as lead and supporting organisations to 
reduce  food  waste.  The  consumer-facing  national  food 
waste prevention programme is ‘Stop food waste’. There 
is a voluntary agreement initiative for the food and drink 
supply chain, the Food Waste Charter, through which food 
and  drink  businesses  pledge  to  reduce  their  food  waste 
through  measuring  waste  levels,  setting  an  evidence-
based reduction target and completing annual reporting. 
The EPA also leads the Forum on Food Waste, which brings 
together  actors  from  the  food  and  beverage  sectors  in 
Ireland  to  discuss  challenges  and  issues  related  to  food 
losses and food waste in the food supply chain. 

Policies to encourage separate collection and recycling 

three-bin  system 

Paper  and  cardboard,  plastics,  metals  and  composite 
packaging  are  usually  collected  through  a  door-to-door 
(curbside  collection)  and  commingled,  and 
system 
packaging  and  non-packaging  waste  are  collected 
together.  Glass  is  mostly  collected  at  bring  bank  points. 
Biowaste is also collected through a door-to-door system. 
From  1 January  2024  onwards,  all  waste  collectors  are 
obliged  to  provide  all  their  household  customers  with  a 
food and garden waste collection service, and from 1 July 
2023  all  waste  collection  companies  are  required  to 
(residual,  mixed  dry 
provide  a 
recyclables  and  biowaste  bins)  to  all  their  commercial 
customers as well. From September 2022, soft plastic was 
added as a target material for the curbside household and 
commercial  recycling  bin.  In  addition,  across  the  whole 
country, all waste material types can be dropped off at a 
civic  amenity  site.  The  waste  action  plan  for  a  circular 
economy  for  2020–2025  includes  measures  to  improve 
waste sorting at the source in high-rise buildings, and the 
Food Waste Recycling Working Group established actions 
to 
improve  household  food  waste  segregation  and 
awareness. The national food waste prevention roadmap 
for 2023-2025 incorporates existing national activities on 
food waste, including those on food waste segregation. 

In Ireland, all households are covered by pay-as-you-throw 
systems. Since 2018, household waste collectors are now 
obliged  to  apply  pricing  structures  to  residual  waste 
collection that contain a weight-based and/or per-lift fee. 
Moreover, the fees for the collection of recyclables, food 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Ireland  12 

waste  and  biowaste  should  be  lower  than  those  for 
residual  household  waste.  The  Household  Waste 
the 
Collection  Price  Monitoring  Group  monitors 
implementation  of 
systems. 
Incentivised waste collection charging obligations for the 
commercial sector came into effect in July 2023, with the 
aim of increasing the segregation of recyclable materials. 

the  pay-as-you-throw 

increased to EUR 85/t and a separate levy of EUR 10/t was 
introduced  applying  to  recovery  operations  at  municipal 
solid  waste  landfills,  waste-to-energy  plants  and  co-
incineration  plants  and  the  export  of  municipal  solid 
waste. There is an exemption in place for the recovery of 
construction  and  demolition  material;  however,  this 
exemption will be phased out in 2026. 

including  economic 

In  the  2022  EIR,  Ireland  received  the  following  priority 
actions  on  waste  management:  introduce  new  policy 
instruments, 
instruments,  to  (i) 
promote  waste  prevention  and  (ii)  make  preparing  for 
reuse  and  recycling  more  economically  attractive;  shift 
reuseable  and  recyclable  waste  away  from  incineration 
and  landfilling;  increase  recycling  rates  by  making  the 
separate collection obligation more effective; carry out a 
review of recent reforms on the waste collection market; 
and ensure that a waste management plan in line with the 
revised  Waste  Framework  Directive  is  in  place.  Most  of 
these 
the 
recommendations of the early warning report for Ireland 
mentioned above and the EEA assessment. Despite some 
progress,  many  of  these  actions  are  still  valid  and  are 
reiterated in the 2025 priority actions. 

identified 

priority 

actions 

are 

in 

It is important to note that Ireland has not yet ratified the 
Hong Kong Convention on Ship Recycling. 

2025 priority actions 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

incineration, 

Implement, harmonise, and gradually increase landfill 
taxes  to  phase  out  landfilling  of  recyclable  and 
recoverable waste. 
Further  shift  reusable  and  recyclable  waste  away 
through  economic 
including 
from 
instruments. 
Improve  separate  collection  at  source  e.g.  through 
economic instruments, investing in infrastructure for 
separate  collection,  sorting  and  recycling,  and 
increasing public awareness. 
Improve  municipal  waste  preparation  for  reuse  and 
recycling. 
Increase the recycling rates of packaging waste. 
Increase  the  collection  and  recycling  rate  of  waste 
electronic and electric equipment (WEEE). 
Invest  in  waste  prevention  measures  to  reduce  the 
total amount of waste generated. 
Ensure  the  achievement  of  the  2025  waste  targets, 
following 
the 
Commission  in  the  Early  Warning  Reports  where 
applicable. 

the  recommendations  made  by 

Regarding packaging taxes, Ireland has a national levy of 
EUR 0.22 per plastic bag, which, however, has not had an 
impact on reducing total packaging waste generation. The 
2022  Circular  Economy  Act  enables  the  activation  of  a 
range  of  measures  envisaged  in  the  legislation,  such  as 
levies and bans on a range of single-use items. Levies and 
bans will be implemented through secondary legislation, 
with  the  initial  focus  being  on  the  introduction  of 
environmental levies on single-use disposable cups for hot 
beverages. Draft regulations were published in 2022 and 
subjected to public consultation, but the levies are not yet 
in place. 

On 1 February 2024, Ireland’s deposit return scheme for 
aluminium/steel  beverage 
cans  and  polyethylene 
terephthalate plastic beverage bottles went live. 

in  waste 
Local  government  has  a  statutory  role 
leads  on  national  communication 
management  and 
campaigns 
regarding  waste  management /  waste 
segregation.  The  Regional  Waste  Management  Planning 
Offices  develop  and  manage  MyWaste.ie  as  Ireland’s 
official guide on waste management, with information for 
citizens and businesses. 

responsibility 

Repak  is  the  producer  responsibility  organisation  within 
for 
the  extended  producer 
household,  commercial  and 
in 
Ireland.  Repak  has  introduced  a  fee  modulation  for  all 
packaging  based  on  recyclability  criteria (29).  It  has  also 
developed a packaging design guide to provide insights on 
the impact of design on recycling processes and to support 
its members to improve packaging recyclability. 

industrial  packaging 

system 

Policies to discourage landfilling or incineration 

Ireland’s landfill levy is currently EUR 85/t of waste, which 
is considerably higher than the average landfill tax applied 
across Member States (EUR 39–46/t). Waste arising from 
the  biological  treatment  of  biodegradable  municipal 
waste is exempted from the tax. There is no ban on the 
landfilling  of  residual  municipal  waste  or  biodegradable 
waste.  However,  Ireland  has  committed  to  banning 
textiles from general waste bins, landfill and incineration. 

In  2022,  under  the  2022  Circular  Economy  and 
Miscellaneous Provisions Act, the existing landfill levy was 

(29) 

https://repak.ie/news-room/blog/eco-modulated-fees/. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
2. Biodiversity and natural capital 

Ireland  13 

Global and EU biodiversity frameworks

implement  this  global  framework  and 

Biological diversity and healthy ecosystems are critical for 
our societies, underpin our economies and well-being and 
are essential for climate change adaptation and mitigation. 
The  Kunming–Montreal  global  biodiversity  framework 
(GBF),  adopted  in  December  2022,  sets  comprehensive 
and measurable targets to tackle biodiversity loss by 2030. 
To 
integrate 
biodiversity considerations into national decision-making, 
the  EU –  as  well  as  all  Member  States –  had  to  submit 
national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs), 
or to communicate national targets aligned with the global 
targets, by the end of 2024. The EU biodiversity strategy 
for  2030  (BDS)  aims  to  put  EU  biodiversity  on  a  path  to 
recovery  by  2030.  It  sets  quantified  targets  intended  to 
protect  and  restore  nature  and  manage  ecosystems  in  a 
sustainable  manner,  as  well  as  measures  to  enable 
implementation  and  commitments  to  support  global 
biodiversity. A BDS actions tracker (30) and a dashboard of 
indicators (31)  provide  information  on  implementation 
progress.  The  recently  adopted  EU  Nature  Restoration 
Regulation (32) is the first EU-wide, comprehensive law of 
its kind and a key instrument for the EU to deliver on the 
global  biodiversity  targets  for  2030.  It  lays  down  an 
overarching  objective  at  the  EU  level  to  put  in  place 
effective restoration measures on 20 % of EU land and sea 
by 2030 and for all ecosystems in need of restoration by 
2050. To achieve this, it sets binding targets for Member 
States to restore and  maintain ecosystems, as well as an 
effective  implementation  framework  based  on  national 
restoration plans. 

The BDS is the main instrument used by the EU to deliver 
on  its  obligation  under  the  GBF.  The  Commission  has 
submitted  to  the  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  its 
report on GBF-aligned EU targets that stem from the BDS 
and  from  other  policy  instruments  under  the  European 
Green Deal. 

Member  States’  NBSAPs  need  to  provide  coherent 
frameworks  for  national  delivery  on  the  global  and  EU 
line  with  the  global 
2030  biodiversity  targets. 

In 

(30) 

(31) 

(32) 

Actions 

Tracker 

Strategy 

Strategy 

Biodiversity 

Biodiversity 

EU 
(https://dopa.jrc.ec.europa.eu/kcbd/actions-tracker/). 
EU 
(https://dopa.jrc.ec.europa.eu/kcbd/EUBDS2030-
dashboard/?version=1). 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  24 June  2024  on  nature  restoration  and  amending 
Regulation (EU)  2022/869  (OJ  L,  2024/1991,  29.7.2024);  see  also 
the 
law 
web 
(https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-
biodiversity/nature-restoration-law_en). 

Commission 

Dashboard 

page 

the 

on 

obligations,  NBSAPs  should  also  include  a  biodiversity 
financing  plan  and  a  capacity-building  plan,  based  on 
needs assessments, as well as an overview of the national 
indicators used to measure progress. 

the 

input 

in  January  2024. 

Ireland’s  fourth  national  biodiversity  action  plan (33),  for 
2023–2030,  was  adopted 
It  was 
interdepartmental 
from 
developed  with 
Biodiversity Working Group, the independent Biodiversity 
Forum, Ireland’s Second National Biodiversity Conference 
as well as a broad public consultation process (34). The plan 
sets  out  194  actions  to  be  carried  out  by  a  range  of 
government, civil and private sector stakeholders in order 
to achieve Ireland’s vision for biodiversity, representing a 
whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The 
NBSAP aims to transform how nature is valued and builds 
on  the  achievements  of  previous  plans.  Ireland’s  fourth 
NBSAP  defines  actions  within  the  framework  of  five 
strategic  objectives:  (i)  adopt  a  whole-of-government, 
whole-of-society approach to biodiversity, (ii) meet urgent 
conservation  and  restoration  needs,  (iii)  secure  nature’s 
contributions to people, (iv) enhance the evidence base for 
action  on  biodiversity  and  (v)  strengthen 
Ireland’s 
contribution  to  international  biodiversity.  In  2023,  the 
Wildlife  (Amendment)  Act (35)  introduced  a  new  public-
sector  duty  on  biodiversity,  meaning  that  every  public 
body,  as  listed  in  the  act,  is  obliged  to  consider  the 
objectives and targets in the plan. In August 2024, Ireland 
also  uploaded  the  NBSAP  actions  on  the  Convention  on 
Biological Diversity online reporting tool (36). 

The EU aims to allocate to biodiversity objectives at least 
7.5 %  of  annual  spending  under  the  EU  budget  in  2024, 
rising  to  10 %  in  2026  and  2027.  Details  on  the  Irish 
situation  with  regard  to  biodiversity  financing  are  in 
Chapter 5. 

Nature  protection  and  restoration –  Natura 
2000 

Natura  2000 (37),  the  largest  coordinated  network  of 

(33) 

(34) 

https://assets.gov.ie/293802/02ba17a9-fef0-45f2-b0f1-
b3ed19ddf358.pdf. 
https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/1566c-public-consultation-
on-irelands-4th-national-biodiversity-action-plan/. 

https://ort.cbd.int/national-targets?countries=ie. 

(35)      https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2023/act/25/enacted/en/pdf. 
(36) 
(37)  Natura  2000  comprises  sites  of  community  importance  (SCIs), 
designated  pursuant  to  the  Habitats  Directive,  as  well  as  special 
protection areas (SPAs), classified pursuant to the Birds Directive. 
Numbers of protected areas in Figure 9 do not add up to the total 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
protected areas in the world, is key to the achievement of 
the objectives set out in the Birds and Habitats Directives. 
These objectives are to ensure the long-term protection, 
conservation  and  survival  of  Europe’s  most  valuable  and 
threatened species and habitats and the ecosystems they 
underpin. Key milestones towards meeting the objectives 
of the Birds and Habitats Directives are (i) the setting up of 
a  complete  and  coherent  Natura  2000  network;  (ii)  the 
designation  of  sites  of  community  importance  (SCIs)  as 
special areas of conservation (SACs) (38); and (iii) effective 
management of all Natura 2000 sites through the setting 
of site-specific conservation objectives and measures. 

Setting  up  a  complete  and  coherent  network  of  Natura 
2000 sites 

The  setting  up  of  a  complete  and  coherent  network  of 
Natura 2000 sites is a cornerstone of the EU’s international 
commitments, under the BDS and GBF, to legally protect a 
minimum of 30 % of its land area and 30 % of its sea area. 

the 

these 

requires 

commitments 

full 
Meeting 
implementation of Article 3 of the Habitats Directive and 
Article 4 of the Birds Directives. The Natura 2000 network 
should  represent  a  complete  and  coherent  ecological 
network  composed  of  sites  hosting  natural habitat  types 
and  species  of  community  interest.  The  Natura  2000 
network contributes to achieving favourable conservation 
status for natural habitat types, and the species and their 
habitats,  ensuring  they  are  maintained  or,  where 
appropriate, restored in their natural range. 

Ireland hosts 59 habitat types and 60 species (39) covered 
by  the Habitats  Directive.  The  country  also  hosts  42  bird 
taxa listed in the Birds Directive Annex I (40). 

As shown in Figure 9, in 2023, 13.2 % of the national land 
area of Ireland was covered by Natura 2000 (EU average 
18.6 %),  with  special  protection  areas  (SPAs)  classified 
under  the  Birds  Directive  covering  6.2 %  (EU  average 
12.8 %),  and  SCIs  under  the  Habitats  Directive  covering 
10.2 % (EU average 14.3 %) of Ireland’s territory. 

Ireland  14 

Figure 9: Natura 2000 terrestrial protected area coverage 
per Member State (%), 2023 

Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), ‘Natura 2000 Barometer’, 
2023 data, accessed March 2025, https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-
maps/dashboards/natura-2000-barometer. 

Considering  both  Natura  2000  and  other  nationally 
designated protected areas, Ireland legally protects 13.9 % 
of  its  terrestrial  areas  (EU  average  18.6 %)  and  2.1 %  of 
marine  areas  (EU  average  12.3 %).  Ireland  rigorously 
protects 2.25 % of the EU’s protected areas (41). 

the 

and 

Based on the results of the 2016 Atlantic Biogeographical 
Seminar 
additional 
considering 
designation/classification  of  sites,  Ireland’s  terrestrial 
Natura  2000  network  under  the  Birds  and  Habitats 
Directive  is  now  considered  complete.  While  significant 
progress has been made in the marine environment – two 
new  SCIs  (candidates  SACs)  have  been  proposed  for 
offshore reefs and two SPAs for seabirds, the procedure is 
not  yet  complete.  Therefore,  Ireland  must  finalise  and 
include these sites in the Union List in upcoming updates. 
Despite  the  aforementioned  designations,  there  are  still 
insufficiencies  in  the  designation  of  sites  particularly  for 
marine  species  (cetaceans),  as  well  as  slow  progress  in 
identifying, selecting and designating SPAs under the Birds 
Directive. This is of particular concern given the ambitious 
plans for developing renewables in offshore waters. There 
are  knowledge  and  designation  gaps  which  must  be 
addressed. However, Ireland is in the process of collecting 
and analysing the data required to classify additional SPAs. 

(38) 

(39) 

of SCIs plus SPAs, because some SCIs and SPAs overlap. An SAC is 
an SCI designated by a Member State. 
SCIs  are  designated  pursuant  to  the  habitats  directive,  whereas 
SPAs  are  designated  pursuant  to  the  birds  directive.  Figures  of 
coverage do not add up because some SCIs and SPAs overlap. 
EEA,  ‘Number  of  habitats  and  species  per  Member  State’, 
2019, 
Article 17 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/state-of-nature-
in-the-eu/article-17-national-summary-dashboards/general-
information-on-habitats-and-species. 

19 December 

dashboard, 

(40) 

(41) 

EEA,  ‘Number  of  bird  species/populations  per  Member  State’, 
Article 12  dashboard,  Annex I  total,  last  updated  11 May  2023, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/state-of-nature-
in-the-eu/article-12-national-summary-dashboards/general-
information-on-bird-species-populations. This counting only takes 
into account bird taxa for which information was requested. 
Eurostat  dataset  env_bio4,  protected  area  percentage  for  2022, 
accessed 
2025, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_bio4/defa
ult/table?lang=en. 

March 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Ireland  15 

Designating special areas of conservation and setting site-
specific objectives and measures 

sites.  The 

In order to ensure that SCIs contribute to the objectives of 
the  Habitats  Directive,  Member  States  must  designate 
them as SACs, setting site-specific conservation objectives 
based on the ecological  requirements of the species and 
habitats  present  on 
site-specific 
the 
conservation  objectives  must  be  defined  in  terms  of 
attributes  and  targets  that  cover  the  properties  of  the 
feature  of  interest  that  are  necessary  to  describe  its 
condition  as  either  favourable  or  unfavourable.  These 
objectives  must  address  the  key  pressures  and  threats 
present  on  the  site.  Article 6  of  the  Habitats  Directive 
requires  Member  States  to  establish  and  implement 
conservation measures for the realisation of the objectives 
of the site. 

In its ruling of June 2023 in Case C-444/21 (42), the Court of 
Justice of the European Union found that Ireland had failed 
to  ensure  that  all  its  SACs  had  been  formally  designated 
and that objectives had been set for all sites. In addition, 
the judgment stated that Ireland failed to comply with the 
obligation 
the  necessary  conservation 
measures in all SAC sites. While Ireland has already made 
significant  progress  in  formally  designating  the  SACs  and 
defining conservation objectives, the important part of the 
judgment  with  regard  to  establishing  conservation 
measures still needs to be implemented. 

to  establish 

In addition, there are still concerns about the conservation 
of raised and blanket bog SACs, which is the subject of an 
infringement  procedure (43).  In  recent  years,  Ireland  has 
made  significant  progress  by  drawing  up  a  national 
peatland  strategy (44)  and  a  national  SAC  management 
plan for raised bogs (45). 

is  a  financial 

Moreover,  there 
instrument  for  the 
environment  (LIFE)  project  that  involves  12  raised  bog 
SACs and a LIFE integrated project on managing 35 blanket 
bog SACs in Ireland. In addition, a LIFE integrated project 
called  ‘Peatlands  and  people’  is  under  way,  which  will 
significantly restore and rehabilitate peatlands in Ireland’s 

midlands,  bringing  together  best  practices,  as  well  as 
monitor and analyse carbon storage in the peatlands. The 
seven-year  project  (2020–2027)  aims  to  restore  and 
rehabilitate over 10 000 ha of peatlands. The outcome of 
the  ‘living  bog’  LIFE  project  was  the  restoration  work  on 
12 Natura  2000  SACs,  which  improved  over  2 600 ha  of 
threatened raised bog habitats (approximately 18 % of the 
national  bog  area).  The  LIFE  integrated  project  ‘Wild 
Atlantic  nature’  is  a  nine-year  project  (2021–2029)  that 
aims  to  improve  conservation  status  in  35  blanket  bogs. 
The  project  ‘Voluntary  results-based  agri-environment 
payment 
farmers’  agri-environment 
payments to the ecological condition of their land through 
a scorecard-based approach that assesses different habitat 
types.  The  payments  aim  to  improve  the  conservation 
status and protect habitat types. 

scheme’ 

links 

However,  restoration  work  has  still  to  be  completed  on 
many of the raised bog SACs and has not been started on 
blanket bog SACs (46). Illegal turf cutting is still taking place 
in some raised bog and blanket bog SACs. The Commission 
decided  in  March  2024  to  refer  Ireland  to  the  Court  of 
Justice of the European Union for its continued failure to 
protect and restore raised bog and blanket bog SACs (47). 

Ireland has significant conservation issues in SPAs and the 
wider landscape. One such issue is the dramatic decline in 
waders, particularly the curlew and dunlin, for which there 
have  been  declines  of  over  90 %  of  the  breeding 
populations  in  recent  decades.  A  curlew  conservation 
programme  began  in  2017  and  the  ‘LIFE  on  machair’ 
project  was  introduced  in  2022,  which  also  aimed  to 
include  actions  for  breeding  dunlin.  The  situation  of  the 
curlew  in  Ireland  highlights  ongoing  challenges  due  to 
habitat  loss  and  degradation,  which  continue  to  cause 
population  decline (48).  The  ‘LIFE  on  machair’  project 
(2022–2028)  has  been  developed  to  work  with  farmers, 
landowners and local communities  in SPAs  (and SACs) to 
protect  and  restore  Ireland’s  breeding  waders  within  a 
sustainable  farming  system.  The  aim  of  the  project  is  to 
halt and reverse the decline in breeding waders, working 
with farmers and landowners to identify ways to conserve 

(42) 

(43) 
(44) 

(45) 

(46) 

Judgment  of  29 June  2023,  Commission  v  Ireland  (Protection  des 
zones spéciales de conservation), C-444/21, EU:C:2023:524. 
INFR(2010)2161. 
https://www.npws.ie/peatlands-and-turf-cutting/peatlands-
council/national-peatlands-strategy. 
https://www.npws.ie/peatlands-and-turf-cutting/management-
plans. 
In  total,  for  52 %  (29  SACs)  of  the  raised  bog  SAC  network, 
restoration  works  have  been  undertaken  or  are  underway  or 
preparatory  works  have  been  completed.  In  addition,  Ireland  is 
restoring sites within its raised bog natural heritage area, which will 
help achieve  reland’s national conservation target for active raised 
bogs.  The  agri-environmental  European 
investment  project 
Farmpeat, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the 
Marine, is seeking to improve the management of habitats on peat 
soils, with a number of raised bog SACs included as project sites. 
Furthermore,  the  LIFE  integrated  project  ‘Wild  Atlantic  nature’, 

under the initiative concerning border development, cross-border 
cooperation  and  selected  energy  networks  VA  programme,  two 
blan et bog projects (‘Collaborative action for the Natura networ ’ 
and ‘Cooperation across borders for biodiversity’) are focused on 
protecting  wetland  habitats,  including  developing  conservation 
action  plans  for  several  blanket  bog  SACs,  restoration  work  and 
other  management  measures.  The  National  Parks  and  Wildlife 
Service is also involved in a public–private partnership restoration 
project on blanket bog SACs in one of its national parks, which will 
inform  how  restoration  work  will  be  done  across  a  larger  area 
covering approximately 20 000 ha. 
https://ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/news-and-
events/news/commission-refer-ireland-court-justice-european-
union-failure-protect-its-peat-bogs-2024-03-13_en. 
https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/curlew-
conservation-programme-annual-report-2023.pdf. 

(47) 

(48) 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Ireland  16 

cycle,  covering  the  years  2019  to  2024,  is  due  for 
submission in July 2025. Figures 10 and 11 show the latest 
available conservation status data. 

According  to  the  report  submitted  by  Ireland  on  the 
conservation  status  of  habitats  and  species  covered  by 
Article 17 of the Habitats Directive for 2013–2018 (53), the 
share  of  assessments 
indicating  good 
conservation status in 2018 was 15.25 % (54). As for species 
protected  under  the  Habitats  Directive,  the  share  of 
assessments  indicating  good  conservation  status  in  2018 
was 56.67 %. 

for  habitats 

At  the  same  time,  the  share  of  habitats  with  bad 
conservation status in 2018 was 38.98 % and the share of 
assessments for species indicating bad conservation status 
was 15.00 %. 

for  species  and  habitats  are 
The  main  pressures 
agriculture,  alien  and  problematic  species,  development 
(construction  and  the  use  of  residential,  commercial, 
industrial and recreation infrastructure), the extraction of 
resources and forestry. 

Figure 10: Assessments of conservation status of habitats 
and species for the 2007–2012 and 2013–2018 reporting 
periods 

and  maintain  existing  populations,  as  well  as  the  habitat 
for the species, including predation management actions. 
Other actions have been reported to be in place in Ireland 
to address the decline (49). However, to halt the decline in 
breeding  waders,  conservation  action  is  needed  on  a 
landscape  scale,  including  providing  ongoing  support  for 
farmers to take the necessary measures and ensuring that 
any agricultural and forestry practices are fully compatible 
with protecting breeding waders and their habitats. There 
is also a continuing need to reconcile the protection of the 
hen harrier with forestry, wind farm development, certain 
agricultural practices and other threats (50). Some actions 
to address the decline in hen harriers have been reported 
in Ireland, but the situation continues to worsen (51). 

2025 priority action 
• 

Complete the Natura 2000 site designation process. 

Recovery of species 

One objective set by the BDS is that, by 2030, there should 
be no further deterioration in conservation trends or the 
status of any protected species. The BDS also states that 
Member States should ensure that at least 30 % of species 
not  currently  in  favourable  conservation  status  achieve 
that  status  or  show  progress  towards  doing  so  (e.g.  by 
exhibiting  positive  population  dynamics  or  stable  or 
increasing range and habitat size), by 2030. According to 
the  European  Environment  Agency  (EEA),  based  on 
reporting  required  under  Article 17  of  the  Habitats 
Directive,  a  quarter  of  species  in  the  EU  were  of  good 
conservation status as of 2018 (52). 

to 

One of the primary objectives of the Habitats Directive is 
the  maintenance  of  or  restoration 
favourable 
conservation  status  of  all  species  of  community  interest. 
Moreover, the Birds Directive also aims to ensure that all 
wild  birds  in  the  EU  enjoy  a  secure  status.  In  order  to 
achieve  these  objectives,  it  will  be  necessary  to  address 
key  pressures  and  threats.  The  Birds  Directive  and  the 
Habitats  Directive  lay  down  a  framework  of  species 
protection rules and rules on the conservation of habitats 
and species in order to combat these threats. 

Under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive, Member States 
are  required  to  report  on  the  conservation  status  of 
habitats and species every six years. The current reporting 

NB: The values shown for 2007–2012 and 2013–2018 are not necessarily 
directly  comparable  because  changes  in  area  conservation  status  in  a 
Member State may result from changes to methods or use of better data, 
rather than reflecting genuine changes. 

(49) 

(50) 

(51) 

(52) 

Ireland  launched  the  ‘Breeding  waders’  European  innovation 
partnership in 2024 (https://breedingwaders.ie/). 
The hen harrier threat response plan for 2024–2028 was published 
in  September  2024  (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a9436-
post-consultation-document-and-hen-harrier-threat-response-
plan/). 
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a9436-post-consultation-
document-and-hen-harrier-threat-response-plan/. 
EEA,  State  of  Nature  in  the  EU:  Results from  reporting  under  the 
Nature Directives 2013–2018, Publications Office of the European 

(53) 

(54) 

2020, 

Luxembourg, 

Union, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-
eu-2020. 
According  to  Article 17  of  the  Habitats  Directive,  every  six  years 
from the date of expiry of the period set out in Article 23, Member 
States must draw up a report for the next cycle. Therefore, the next 
reporting cycle (for 2019–2024) will be submitted in July 2025. 
Changes  between  reporting  periods  may  be  partly  explained  by 
improved knowledge or changes in assessment methodology; see 
notes for Figures 10 and 11. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Source:  EEA,  ‘Conservation  status  and  trends  of  habitats  and  species’, 
19 December 
2020, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/maps-and-
charts/conservation-status-and-trends-article-17-national-summary-
dashboards-archived. 

December 

accessed 

2019, 

Figure 11: Assessments of conservation status of species 
for the 2007–2012 and 2013–2018 reporting periods 

NB: The values shown for 2007–2012 and 2013–2018 are not necessarily 
directly  comparable  because  changes  in  area  conservation  status  in  a 
Member State may result from changes to methods or use of better data, 
rather than reflecting genuine changes. 

Source:  EEA,  ‘Conservation  status  and  trends  of  habitats  and  species’, 
19 December 
2020, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/maps-and-
charts/conservation-status-and-trends-article-17-national-summary-
dashboards-archived. 

December 

accessed 

2019, 

Some of the major challenges in managing the Natura 2000 
areas  effectively  are  addressing  the  significant  pressures 
and  protecting  the  sites  from  activities  that  can  have  an 
impact on the habitats, the species and the site’s integrity 
(projects and plans). 

It is worth emphasising that  reland’s common agricultural 
policy  (CAP)  strategic  plan  (SP)  for  2023–2027  includes 
eco-scheme 
agri-environmental–climate 
payments and results-based scheme payments. 

payments, 

Since its launch in 2014, the European Natura 2000 Award 
has  built  up  a  catalogue  of  impressive  initiatives  and 
achievements. The 2024 winner in the category ‘Working 
together for nature’ was the LIFE integrated project ‘Wild 
Atlantic  nature’ (55),  which  is  a  groundbreaking  results-
based  payment  scheme  for  farmers  in  Ireland.  It  is  an 
extremely  convincing  demonstration  of  how  farmers  can 
be paid fairly and effectively to protect Natura 2000 sites 
and  habitats.  The  primary  target  of  the  project  was  to 
protect  blanket  bog  habitats  in  eight  Natura  2000  sites 
where 800 farmers were engaged. 

Ireland  17 

Additionally, a 10-year LIFE strategic nature project (SNAP 
Ireland) (56) started in the beginning of January 2024 and 
targets the prioritised action framework (PAF) for Natura 
2000  in  Ireland.  The  objectives  of  SNAP  Ireland  are  the 
for  PAF 
creation  of  an 
implementation;  delivery  of  restoration  actions,  focusing 
on the restoration of lagoons and blanket bogs; integrated 
implementation of priority measures identified in the PAF; 
and secured continuity of mainstreaming and integrating 
the  achievements  of  SNAP  Ireland  after  the  project  has 
ended. 

integrated  data  platform 

In conclusion, since the last EIR (in 2022), there have been 
some improvements in the status of species and habitats 
in Ireland (recently reported), where targeted actions have 
taken place. 

2025 priority actions 
• 

Strengthen the integration of biodiversity actions into 
other  policies  (e.g.  on  energy,  agriculture,  fisheries, 
forestry,  urban  and 
infrastructure  planning  and 
sustainable  tourism)  and  promote  communication 
between stakeholders. 

•  Reinforce  action  for  habitats  and  species  with 
for 
increased 
and 

unfavourable  conservation 
example, 
connectivity,  better  policy 
integration and increased funding. 

status 
measures, 

coordination 

restoration 

through, 

Recovery of ecosystems 

Agricultural ecosystems 

The BDS works alongside the CAP to support the transition 
to sustainable agriculture. 

The  strategy  has  set  five  common  agriculture-related 
targets for 2030, namely to: 

—  reduce  by  50 %  the  overall  use  of –  and  risk  from – 

chemical pesticides; 

—  reduce by 50 % the use of more hazardous pesticides; 
—  reduce  by  50 %  losses  of  nutrients  from  fertilisers 
(which  will  result  in  a  20 %  reduction  in  the  use  of 
fertilisers)  while  ensuring 
is  no 
deterioration of soil fertility; 

there 

that 

—  restore at least 10 % of agricultural area to have high-

— 

diversity landscape features; and 
increase  the  area  under  organic  farming  to  at  least 
25 %. 

(55) 

https://www.wildatlanticnature.ie/. 

(56) 

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE22-
IPN-IE-LIFE-SNaP-Ireland-101103707/life-strategic-nature-project-
for-ireland. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
The “Vision for agriculture and food” (57), adopted by the 
European Commission in February 2025, sets a roadmap to 
an  agri-food  system  that 
is  attractive,  competitive, 
sustainable and fair for current and future generations. To 
ensure a sustainable future for EU agriculture, it is crucial 
that  these  four  priority  areas  are  pursued  together,  and 
that  public  and  private  support  are  adequately  targeted 
toward this objective. 

The  CAP  and  national  CAP  strategic  plans  are  key 
instruments  to  facilitate  and  strengthen  the  efforts  of 
European 
farmers  to  protect  biodiversity  and  the 
environment at large. The Commission approved Member 
States’  CAP  strategic  plans  in  2022  for  the  2023–2027 
programming  period.  The  CAP  is  the  largest  source  of 
funding  dedicated  to  supporting  biodiversity  and  plays  a 
significant role in implementing EU environmental policy. 
Strategic plans should continue to support the protection 
of soil, water, air quality and biodiversity. 

While certain CAP result indicators focus on interventions 
favouring sustainable agriculture practices that regenerate 
ecosystems,  the  impact  of  these  measures  is  difficult  to 
assess.  The  uptake  of  eco-schemes 
is  voluntary  for 
farmers. 

The  utilised  agricultural  area  in  Ireland  reduced  from 
4 532 290 ha in 2012 to 4 347 530 ha in 2022 (58). 

typically –  but  not  exclusively – 

Landscape features are small fragments of non-productive 
and 
semi-natural 
vegetation present in or adjacent to agricultural land. They 
provide  ecosystem  services  and  support  for  biodiversity. 
The  indicator  ‘share  of  agricultural  land  covered  with 
landscape features’ is the ratio between the area covered 
by landscape features and the area covered by agricultural 
land.  Based  on  the  Land  Use/Cover  Area  Frame  Survey 
landscape  features  estimates,  the  share  of  agricultural 
land  covered  by  non-productive  landscape  features  in 
Ireland  is  7.5 %,  above  the  EU  average.  At  the  EU  level, 
landscape features cover 5.6 % of agricultural land. 

(57) 

(58) 

(59) 

(60) 

5 December 

https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/overview-vision-agriculture-
food/vision-agriculture-and-food_en  
Eurostat,  ‘Utilised  agricultural  area  by  categories’,  tag00025, 
accessed 
2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tag00025/defa
ult/table?lang=en 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1468 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 14 May 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/2115 and 
(EU)  2021/2116  as  regards  good  agricultural  and  environmental 
condition standards, schemes for climate, environment and animal 
welfare, amendment of the CAP strategic plans, review of the CAP 
strategic plans and exemptions from controls and penalties (OJ L, 
2024/1468, 
24.5.2024), 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1468/oj. 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  24 June  2024  on  nature  restoration  and  amending 

Ireland  18 

In  2024,  the  CAP  basic  regulations  were  amended (59) 
regarding,  inter  alia,  the  standards  for  good  agricultural 
and  environmental  condition  (GAEC)  of 
land.  These 
changes  removed  the  obligation  for  farmers  benefiting 
from CAP area-related support to have a minimum share 
of 3–4 % of non-productive area or landscape features in 
their  farms.  However,  the  amended  regulation  does  not 
remove  the  obligation  under  the  GAEC  8  to  maintain 
existing landscape features and sets out an obligation for 
Member States to establish and provide support for eco-
schemes  covering  practices  for  the  maintenance  of  non-
productive  areas,  such  as  land  lying  fallow,  and  for  the 
establishment of new landscape features on arable land. 

The  recently  adopted  Nature  Restoration  Regulation (60) 
focuses on the restoration of agricultural ecosystems and 
requires Member States to put in place measures that aim 
to  achieve  an  increasing  trend  at  the  national  level  in  at 
least  two  out  of  three 
for  agricultural 
ecosystems (61).  One  of  these  indicators  is  the  ‘share  of 
agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features’. 

indicators 

Organic 
farming  practices  are  highly  beneficial  to 
biodiversity.  As  shown  in  Figure 12,  it  is  estimated  that 
2.20 % of Ireland’s land area is used for organic farming, 
which is below the EU average of 10.50 % (62). Despite its 
current objective under the CAP SP to more than triple the 
area used for organic farming by 2027 (i.e. to reach 7.5 %), 
Ireland  is  for  the  moment  insufficiently  contributing  to 
achieving the target  of 25 % of the EU’s agricultural land 
being used for organic farming by 2030. Further efforts are 
under way (63). 

(61) 

(62) 

(EU)  2022/869 

(OJ  L,  2024/1991,  29.7.2024), 

Regulation 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1991/oj. 
The  three  indicators  are  ‘grassland  butterfly  index’,  ‘stoc   of 
organic carbon in cropland mineral soils’ and ‘share of agricultural 
land with high-diversity landscape features’. 
This  is  based  on  the  latest  available  information  from  Eurostat, 
which 
review;  European  Commission, 
Agriculture  biologique  au  sein  de  l’union  européenne,  factsheet, 
2024, 
Brussels, 
https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/document/download/c67458ed-
ec50-4762-ae68-341763ab93c2_fr?filename=factsheet-organic-
farning_fr.pdf&prefLang=en. 

is  currently  under 

(63)      By 2024, the percentage had more than doubled to 5 % following 
the  acceptance  of  1 050  additional  farmers  into  the  organic 
farming  scheme  (https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/749d4-all-
eligible-new-applicants-accepted-to-the-2024-organic-farming-
scheme). 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Figure 12:  Share  of  total  utilised  agricultural  area 
occupied by organic farming per Member State (%), 2022 

Ireland  19 

soil  monitoring  and 
The  proposed  directive  on 
resilience (64)  aims  to  introduce  the  first  comprehensive 
legislation on the protection of all soils in the EU. Should 
the  directive  be  adopted,  Member  States  will  have  to 
transpose  it  into  national  legislation  and  implement  it, 
starting with putting in place the governance systems and 
a  sound  monitoring  framework  building  on  existing 
national soil monitoring frameworks. The objective of the 
is  to  provide  better  and  more 
proposed  directive 
comparable  soil  health  data  with  the  view  of  attaining 
healthy soils by 2050. 

Source:  Eurostat,  ‘Area  under  organic  farming’,  sdg_02_ 0,  accessed 
5 December 
2024, 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/sdg_02_40/default/ta
ble?lang=en. 

2025 priority actions 
• 

Implement  eco-schemes  and  agri-environmental 
measures and practices to address the environmental 
needs of Ireland. 
Implement and scale up the uptake of organic farming 
practices. 

• 

Soil ecosystems 

Soil is an essential, finite and extremely fragile resource. Its 
increasing degradation poses a threat to EU food security 
and climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation. 

The EU soil strategy, adopted in November 2021, aims to 
support soil protection, sustainable soil management and 
the restoration of degraded soils to achieve the Green Deal 
objectives as well as land degradation neutrality by 2030. 

This entails: 

—  preventing further soil degradation; 
—  making sustainable soil management the new normal; 
—  taking action for ecosystem restoration. 

(64) 

(65) 

of 

final 

5 July 

Proposal  for  a  directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  on  soil  monitoring  and  resilience  (Soil  Monitoring  Law), 
COM(2023) 416 
https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52023PC0416. 
Commission staff working document – Impact assessment report: 
Annexes –  Accompanying  the  proposal  for  a  directive  of  the 
European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  soil  monitoring  and 
resilience  (Soil  Monitoring  Law),  SWD(2023) 417  final  of  5 July 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-
2023, 

2023, 

Degradation  of  soil  ecosystems  encompasses  several 
aspects. The proposed directive requires Member States to 
assess soil health according to a set of common indicators 
and  to  define  the  necessary  regeneration  measures.  The 
area  of  soil  that  is  sealed  is  an  important  factor  in 
monitoring land-use change and represents an important 
pressure  on  nature  and  biodiversity.  Other  soil  issues 
related  to 
land  degradation  are  soil  erosion,  soil 
compaction, loss of soil organic carbon, soil contamination, 
soil  salinisation  and  the  presence  in  soil  of  nitrogen  and 
phosphorus 
assessment 
accompanying  the  proposal,  which  builds  on  the  data 
available in the EU Soil Observatory, points to the following 
soil degradation issues in Ireland (65). 

excess. 

impact 

The 

in 

The  impact  assessment  for  the  Soil  Monitoring  Law (66) 
revealed  that  the  greatest  contributor  to 
Ireland’s 
unhealthy  soils  is  a  concentration  of  nitrogen  exceeding 
50 kg/ha,  which  affects  46 %  of  the  national  territory, 
representing  79 %  of  total  agricultural  land  area.  The 
second  contributor (67)  is  peatland  areas  experiencing 
degradation,  affecting  12 %  of  the  national  territory,  of 
which 62 % is on agricultural land area. 

ASSESSMENT 

07/IMPACT 
REPORT_ANNEXES_SWD_2023_417_part4.pdf. 
Commission staff working document – Impact assessment report: 
Annexes –  Accompanying  the  proposal  for  a  directive  of  the 
European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  soil  monitoring  and 
resilience  (Soil  Monitoring  Law),  SWD(2023) 417  final  of  5 July 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-
2023, 
07/IMPACT 
ASSESSMENT 
REPORT_ANNEXES_SWD_2023_417_part4.pdf. 
This affects soil health at the Member State level. 

(66) 

(67) 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Ireland  20 

Grasslands 

Grasslands are among the most diverse ecosystems in the 
EU; they can contain as many as 80 different plant species 
per  square  meter  and  are  home  to  a  large  variety  of 
animals, ranging from small insects, birds and rodents to 
large  herbivores.  Grasslands  are  essential  for  agriculture 
and  livestock  herding.  Natural  grasslands  also  play  an 
important  role  in  storing  carbon.  However,  changes  in 
agricultural practices and land uses have caused grasslands 
to  disappear  at  an  alarming  rate,  making  them  one  of 
threatened  ecosystems.  Extensively 
Europe’s  most 
include  meadows,  mountain 
managed  grasslands 
pastures, dry calcareous grasslands and steppic grasslands.  
In Ireland, there are large areas of semi-natural grasslands 
In Ireland, there are large areas of semi-natural grassland, 
including  six  types (68)  listed  in  Annex I  to  the  Habitats 
Directive.  Grasslands  are  among  the  most  threatened 
habitat  types  in  Ireland,  primarily  due  to  changes  in 
agriculture,  such  as  abandonment, 
intensification  of 
agriculture  and  afforestation.  To  prevent  their  loss  and 
protect these habitats and their diversity, grasslands must 
be managed in a way that allows periodic grazing and/or 
mowing, for instance. 

According to the report produced for the latest reporting 
period  (2013–2018)  under  Article 17  of  the  Habitats 
Directive, 
the 
the  overall  assessments  show 
conservation  status  of  all  grassland  habitats  is  ranked  as 
unfavourable – bad (69). The most significant pressures and 
threats listed in the report for grasslands are agriculture, 
forestry,  extraction,  development,  alien  and  problematic 
species and natural processes. 

that 

Wetlands/peatlands 

Wetlands act as water sources and purifiers; they are the 
planet’s greatest natural carbon stores and they are crucial 
to agriculture and fisheries. Peatlands are a special type of 
wetlands  dominated  by  peat-forming  plants  such  as 
Sphagnum  mosses.  Nearly  all  peatlands  in  the  EU  are 
habitat  types  listed  in  Annex I  to  the  Habitats  Directive. 
Drained  peatlands  under 
intensive  agricultural  use 
constitute only 3 % of the EU’s utilised agricultural area. At 
the same time, they are responsible for 25 % of the GHG 
emissions  from  the  EU’s  agricultural  sector.  Restoring 
peatlands  brings  multiple  benefits,  as  peatlands  improve 
water  retention  and  quality,  store  carbon,  reduce  GHG 
emissions and increase biodiversity. 

In  Ireland,  wetlands/peatlands  are  represented  by  eight 
habitat types (70) listed in Annex I to the Habitats Directive. 
Ireland has a particular role to play in the conservation and 
restoration of active raised bogs, as it is estimated to hold 
approximately half of the Atlantic biogeographic  region’s 
resource  of  these  habitats.  These  areas  are  rich  in 
biodiversity,  hosting  important  insect  and  bird  species. 
According to the report produced for the latest reporting 
period  (2013–2018)  under  Article 17  of  the  Habitats 
Directive, 
the 
the  overall  assessments  show 
conservation  status  of  all  eight  habitats  is  ranked  as 
unfavourable (71).  The  most  significant  pressures  and 
for 
threats 
peatlands/wetlands are agriculture, forestry, extraction of 
resources,  human-induced  changes  in  water  regimes, 
mixed  source  pollution,  natural  processes,  energy 
(including 
production 
development of transport systems) and drainage. 

development 

processes, 

Article 17 

report 

listed 

that 

the 

in 

It is worth mentioning that support to peatland restoration 
is not only provided by the LIFE Programme, but also by the 
that  address 
Just  Transition  Fund  with  measures 
biodiversity  and  restoration.  The  recovery  and  resilience 
plan also supports the rehabilitation of bogs.  

2025 priority action 

• 

Implement  peatland  conservation  and  restoration 
measures and include such measures and objectives in 
the national restoration plans. 

Forest ecosystems 

Forests are important carbon sinks, and conserving them is 
vital if the EU is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The 
EU forest strategy for 2030, adopted in July 2021, is a plan 
of  actions  to  promote  the  many  services  that  forests 
provide. Its key objective is to ensure healthy, diverse and 
resilient  EU  forests  that  contribute  significantly  to  the 
achievement  of  the  EU’s  biodiversity  and  climate 
ambitions.  About  27 %  of  the  forest  area  in  the  EU  is 
covered by habitat types listed in Annex I to the Habitats 
Directive. Moreover, forests host several species protected 
under the Birds and Habitats Directives, including those for 
which  there  is  a  requirement  to  designate  Natura  2000 
sites and to protect breeding sites and resting places. 

Several  guidelines  on 
forestry  management  were 
published  in  2023.  They  covered  biodiversity-friendly 
afforestation,  reforestation  and  tree  planting;  closer-to-

(68) 

(69) 

The  six  types  are  orchid-rich  calcareous  grasslands,  lowland  hay 
meadows, Molinia meadows, Nardus grasslands, hydrophilous tall 
herb and Calaminarian grasslands. 
nature 
art17.eionet.europa.eu/article17/habitat/report/?period=5&grou
p=Grasslands&country=IE&region=. 

(70) 

(71) 

These are active raised bogs, degraded raised bogs, blanket bogs, 
transition mires and quaking bogs, depressions on peat substrates 
of the Rhynchosporion, calcareous fens, petrifying springs, alkaline 
fens and coastal lagoons. 
nature-
art17.eionet.europa.eu/article17/habitat/report/?period=5&grou
p=Bogs%2C+mires+%26+fens&country=IE&region=. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
nature  forest  management;  and  defining,  mapping, 
monitoring and strictly protecting primary and old-growth 
forests.  Further  guidance  on  payment  schemes  for 
ecosystem services has also been published. 

In  2023,  the  Commission  proposed  a  new  forest 
monitoring  law  (72)  that  aims  to  create  a  comprehensive 
forest  knowledge  base,  address  information  gaps  and 
enable a better response to growing pressures on forests. 

Assessments  show  that,  of  the  27 %  of  EU  forest  area 
protected under the Habitats Directive, less than 15 % is of 
favourable conservation status (73). The share of forested 
areas in the EU with a bad conservation status increased 
from 27 % in 2015 to 31 % in 2018. 

In Ireland, forests covered 11.4 % of territory in 2020 (74) 
and the situation  for  woodland  habitats protected under 
the  Habitats  Directive  is  particularly  worrying,  as  more 
than half of the protected forests assessed were reported 
to have a bad conservation status (75). 

In  Ireland,  protected  forest  habitat  types  are  part  of  the 
four  habitat  types  listed  in  Annex I (76)  to  the  Habitats 
Directive. According to the report produced for the latest 
reporting  period  (2013–2018)  under  Article 17  of  the 
Habitats Directive, the overall assessments show that the 
conservation status of the forest habitat types is ranked as 
unfavourable,  with  only  bog  woodlands  identified  as 
having  favourable  status.  The  most  significant  pressures 
and threats listed in the report for forests are agriculture, 
forestry,  alien  and  problematic  species,  extraction  of 
resources and human-induced changes in water regimes. 

launched 

To address the goal of meeting climate mitigation targets, 
its  first  State-aid  programme  for 
Ireland 
afforestation in 2014, which was in force until 2022. Faced 
with  criticism 
from  non-governmental  organisations 
(NGOs) and civil society, Ireland launched a new  forestry 
strategy in 2023, acknowledging the need to avoid planting 
in deep soil as, in the previous scheme, Ireland subsidised 

Ireland  21 

the  planting  of  non-native  conifers  (Sitka  spruces), 
including  on  peat  soil,  which  caused  severe  carbon  and 
biodiversity  loss  (including  severe  decline  in  certain  bird 
species, and impacts on habitat types and freshwater pearl 
mussels)  and  landslides  (due  to  peatland  drainage).  The 
strategy is to be implemented through an increased State-
aid programme. The State aid is to address areas important 
for  open  habitat  birds,  peatlands  and  areas  of  key 
importance for freshwater pearl mussels. 

Figure 13: Conservation status of forests protected under 
the  Habitats  Directive  per  Member  State 
(%  of 
assessments), 2013–2018 

Source: Commission staff working document – New EU forest strategy for 
eur-
of 
2030, 
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52021SC0652. 

SWD(2021) 652 

16 July 

2021, 

p. 24, 

final 

. 

The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) (77) prohibits the placing 
on the EU market of illegally harvested timber.  On 29 June 
2023,  the  Regulation  on  Deforestation-free  Products 
(EUDR) (78) entered into force (79). The regulation seeks to 
guarantee that products in the EU that are made using any 
of seven listed commodities have no links to deforestation. 

72  

(73) 

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the 
Council on a monitoring framework for resilient European forests, 
COM(2023)728, 
2023, 
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-
register/detail?ref=COM(2023)728&lang=en 

November 

22 

EEA,  State  of  Nature  in  the  EU:  Results from  reporting  under  the 
Nature Directives 2013–2018, Publications Office of the European 
Union, 
2020, 
Luxembourg, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-
eu-2020. 

(76) 

(77) 

(78) 

2024, 

Wexford, 

(74)  Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Forest Statistics 
2024, 

Ireland 
https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/297338/a280
944a-dace-4812-9d6d-48822a5ab87e.pdf#page=null. 
Commission  staff  working  document –  Stakeholder  consultation 
and evidence base: Accompanying the document Communication 
from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the 
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of 
the  Regions –  New  EU  forest  strategy  for  2030,  SWD(2021) 652 

(75) 

of 

2021, 

16 July 

12.11.2010, 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

final 
content/NL/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021SC0652. 
The four types are old sessile oak woods, bog woodlands, alluvial 
forest and Taxus baccata woods. 
Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the  European Parliament and of 
the  Council  of  20 October  2010  laying  down  the  obligations  of 
operators who place timber and timber products on the market (OJ 
L 295, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32010R0995. 
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  31 May  2023  on  the  making  available  on  the  Union 
market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and 
products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and 
repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No 995/2010  (OJ  L 150,  9.6.2023, 
p. 206), 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R1115&qid=168786723146
1. 

p. 23), 

(79)   The law will apply to large and medium-sized companies starting 
on December 30, 2025, and to micro and small enterprises starting 
on June 30, 2026. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
The Regulation on deforestation-free products repeals the 
EU Timber Regulation. 

2025 priority actions 

• 

• 

forest  State  aid  and 

latest 
the 
the  Commission. 
impact  on 
(e.g.  bogs,  hen  harrier, 

Implement 
recommendation  provided  by 
Restore  afforested  areas  that  cause 
habitats  and  species 
freshwater pearl mussel). 
Improve  the  conservation  status  of  forests  by 
promoting  sustainable 
forest  management  and 
ensuring  compliance  with  the  Habitats  Directive 
before granting/renewing permits for forest logging. 

Marine ecosystems 

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires 
Member  States  to  achieve  good  environmental  status 
(GES) for their marine waters. To that end, Member States 
must  draw  up  marine  strategies  for  their  marine  waters 
and cooperate with other Member States sharing the same 
marine  region  or  subregion.  These  marine  strategies 
comprise  different 
to  be  developed  and 
implemented over six-year cycles. 

steps 

that 

In Ireland, coastal habitats are represented by  14 habitat 
types (80)  listed  in  Annex I  to  the  Habitats  Directive. 
According to the report produced for the latest reporting 
period  (2013–2018)  under  Article 17  of  the  Habitats 
Directive, 
the 
the  overall  assessments  show 
conservation  status  of  11  coastal  habitats  is  ranked  as 
unfavourable  and  the  status  of  3  habitats  is  ranked  as 
favourable  (sandbanks,  submarine  structures  made  by 
leaking gases, and Salicornia and other annuals colonising 
mud and sand). The most significant pressures and threats 
listed in the report are development, construction and use 
of  residential,  commercial,  industrial  and  recreational 
infrastructure;  alien  and  problematic  species;  agriculture 
extraction of resources; and extraction and cultivation of 
biological  living  resources  (other  than  agriculture  and 
forestry). 

Since  the  2022  EIR  report,  no  additional  data  regarding 
Member  States’  set  of  GES  characteristics  for  each 
descriptor 
the  MSFD  have  become  available. 
Nevertheless,  Member  States  have  to  report  updates  by 
15 October  2024,  and  these  will  be  assessed  by  the 

in 

Ireland  22 

Commission. In the context of this next round of reporting, 
in  accordance  with  the  MSFD  and  the  Commission  GES 
decision (81), Member States must include as part of their 
set  of  GES  characteristics  any  threshold  values  for  the 
descriptors in the MSFD that may have been established in 
cooperation  with  other  Member  States  at  the  EU  or 
regional level (82). 

The  Commission  assessed  the  updated  monitoring 
programme  reported  by  Member  States  in  2020 (83).  At 
that  time,  their  updates  on  the  elements,  features  and 
parameters  identified  monitoring  gaps.  The  Commission 
recommended that Member States should prioritise work 
to address those gaps at all levels of implementation of the 
MSFD. 

Member States also reported their updated  programmes 
of  measures,  which  are  required  under  Article 13  of  the 
MSFD  and  which  must  be  updated  every  six  years.  The 
Commission has assessed Member States’ programmes of 
measures. 

Figure 14:  Level  of  adequacy  of 
Ireland’s  updated 
programme  of  measures  under  Article 13  of  the  MSFD 
(2022 reporting exercise) 

Source: Technical assessment carried out by the European Commission, 
pursuant to Article 16 of the MSFD, based on the data reported by Ireland 
in December 2022. 

The  assessment  of  Ireland’s  updated  programme  of 
measures  shows  varying 
levels  of  adequacy  across 
different descriptors, ranging from moderate to good. 

(80) 

(81) 

These  are  sandbanks,  estuaries,  mudflats  and  sandflats,  coastal 
lagoons, large shallow inlets and bays, reefs, submarine structures, 
annual  vegetation  of  drift  lines,  perennial  vegetation,  vegetated 
sea cliffs,  Salicornia  and other  annuals  colonising  mud  and sand, 
Atlantic  salt  meadows,  Mediterranean  salt  meadows,  and 
Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilus scrubs. 
Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 of 17 May 2017 laying down 
criteria  and  methodological  standards  on  good  environmental 
status  of  marine  waters  and  specifications  and  standardised 
repealing 
for  monitoring  and  assessment,  and 
methods 

(82) 

(83) 

(OJ 

L 125, 

p. 43), 

18.5.2017, 

Decision 2010/477/EU 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2017/848/oj. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  of  11 March  2024 – 
Commission notice on the threshold values set under the Marine 
(Directive  2008/56/EC)  and 
Strategy  Framework  Directive 
Commission  Decision 
(OJ  C,  C/2024/2078, 
11.3.2024), http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/2078/oj. 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-
04/C_2023_2203_F1_COMMUNICATION_FROM_COMMISSION_E
N_V5_P1_2532109.PDF. 

(EU)  2017/848 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Ireland  23 

For  two  descriptors  (D3,  commercial  fish  and  shellfish, 
D11,  energy,  including  underwater  noise),  no  additional 
measures  have  been  reported,  as  measures  arising  from 
other  legislative  and  policy  frameworks  are  already  in 
place. 

Prevention  and  management  of  invasive  alien 
species 

The total number of IAS of Union concern in the country is 
25. This includes 18 species recorded in the previous EIR 
(2021)  and  7  additions.  Of  these  additions,  five  were 
already on the Union concern list in 2021, and  two were 
added  later  under  Commission  Implementing  Regulation 
(EU) 2022/1203. 

Figure 15:  Number  of  IAS  of  EU  concern,  based  on 
available georeferenced information for Ireland, 2024 

Invasive  alien  species  (IAS)  are  a  major  cause  of 
biodiversity  loss  in  the  EU.  Besides  inflicting  direct  and 
indirect  damage  on  nature  and  the  economy,  some  IAS 
also carry and spread infectious diseases, posing a threat 
to humans and wildlife. Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 (the 
IAS Regulation) aims to prevent, minimise and mitigate the 
adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity. It focuses action on 
a  list  of  IAS  of  EU  concern  (the  ‘Union  list’),  which  is 
regularly updated (84). 

The third update of the Union list (85) entered into force on 
2 August 2022. The fourth update is in preparation. 

The IAS Regulation (86) currently lists 88 species subject to 
restrictions  on  keeping, 
importing,  selling,  breeding, 
growing  and  releasing  into  the  environment.  Member 
States  are  required  to  take  measures  to  (i)  prevent  the 
introduction  of  IAS,  (ii)  ensure  early  detection  and  rapid 
eradication of IAS and (iii) manage species that are already 
widespread on their territory. 

This  aligns  with  target 6  of  the  GBF  to  reduce  the 
introduction of IAS by at least 50 % by 2030 and minimise 
their impact. 

Preventing  the  introduction  and  spread  of  IAS,  and 
managing them, including through eradication and control, 
can result in a substantial cost saving. Studies estimate that 
the total cost of IAS in Europe (damages and management) 
amounted  to  EUR 116.61 billion  between  1960  and 
2020 (87).  More  recent  studies  have  put  this  cost  at 
USD 28 billion  per  year 
to 
in 
USD 148.2 billion  by  2040 (88),  and  at  USD 423 billion 
annually at the global level (89). 

increasing 

the  EU, 

(84) 

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 adopting a 
list  of  invasive  alien  species  of  Union  concern  pursuant  to 
Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of 
the Council (OJ L 189, 14.7.2016, p. 4), as amended by Commission 
Implementing  Regulations  (EU)  2017/1263,  (EU)  2019/1262  and 
(EU) 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02016R1141-
20220802&from=EN. 

2022/1203, 

(85)  Commission Implementing  Regulation (EU)  2022/120   of  12 July 
2022  amending  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2016/1141  to 
update the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (OJ   18 , 
1 . .2022, 
p. 10), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R1203.   

In the 2022 EIR, Ireland received a priority action to step 
up  actions on  the  implementation  of  the  IAS  Regulation. 
Ireland has taken appropriate steps to comply with the IAS 
Regulation provisions on penalties. 

2025 priority action 

• 

implementation  of  the 

Step  up 
IAS  Regulation, 
including with regard to enforcement and the capacity 
of inspection authorities. 

Ecosystem assessment and accounting 

The  BDS  calls  on  Member  States  to  better  integrate 
into  public  and  business 
biodiversity  considerations 

(86) 

Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of 
the  Council  of  22 October  2014  on  the  prevention  and 
management  of  the  introduction  and  spread  of  invasive  alien 
species (OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 35). 

(87)  Haubrock,  P. J.,  Turbelin,  A. J.,  Cuthbert,  R. N.  et  al.,  ‘Economic 
costs  of  invasive  alien  species  across  Europe’,  NeoBiota,  Vol. 63, 
2021, pp. 153–190. 

(89) 

(88)  Henry, M., Leung, B., Cuthbert, R. N. et al., ‘Unveiling the hidden 
economic  toll  of  biological  invasions  in  the  European  Union’, 
Environmental Sciences Europe, Vol. 35, No 1, 2023, p. 43. 
IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity 
and  Ecosystem  Services),  Summary  for  Policymakers –  Invasive 
alien 
2023, 
assessment, 
https://www.ipbes.net/document-library-catalogue/summary-
policymakers-invasive-alien-species-assessment. 

species 

Bonn, 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
decision-making at all levels and to develop natural capital 
accounting. 

Similarly, target 14 of the GBF (90) aims to ensure the full 
integration  of  biodiversity  and  its  multiple  values  into 
policy  and  planning  and,  as  appropriate,  national 
accounting.  This 
requires  effective  and  coherent 
biodiversity  observation  and  reporting  on  ecosystem 
condition in the EU (91). 

The  amended Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 on European 
environmental  economic  accounts (92)  introduces  new 
requirements  for  Member  States  to  report  on  the 
condition  of  ecosystems  including  urban  ecosystems, 
croplands,  grasslands,  forest  and  woodlands,  coastal 
beaches,  dunes  and  wetlands.  Data  reported  by  the 
Member  States  will  feed  into  the  second  European 
ecosystem assessment, due in 2027, and can also be used 
to support policy decisions. 

An ecosystem assessment is an analysis of the condition of 
ecosystems and the pressures acting on them, as well as 
the benefits that they provide to people, either directly or 
indirectly through the economy. 

increasing  number  of  platforms,  networks  and 
An 
communities  of  practice  involve  businesses  in  protecting 

Ireland  24 

biodiversity,  including  the  EU  Business  &  Biodiversity 
Platform (93).  These  platforms  and  communities  are  key 
tools  for  promoting  and  facilitating  natural  capital 
assessments  among  businesses  and  financial  services 
providers. 

Natural  capital  assessments  help  private  businesses  to 
better understand both the negative and positive impacts 
that  they  have  on  nature,  and  to  appreciate  how  nature 
contributes 
success.  Such  understanding 
contributes to the implementation of the EU’s BDS. 

their 

to 

national 

assessments 

outcome 4D (94), 

Objective 4 of the Irish national biodiversity action plan is 
to  enhance  the  evidence  base  for  action  on  biodiversity. 
Under 
of 
ecosystem  services,  the  plan  includes  actions  to  develop 
national  ecosystem  accounts  in  line  with  the  ecosystem 
accounting  framework  of  the  system  of  environmental 
economic  accounting,  conduct  a  national  assessment  of 
ecosystem  services  by  2027  and  provide  sector-specific 
guidance on the use of natural capital accounting. Ireland’s 
National Economic and Social Council has issued a report 
on natural capital accounting; the guide for action aims to 
support natural capital accounting work. 

Business  for Biodiversity  Ireland is a network member of 
the EU Business & Biodiversity Platform. 

(91) 

(90)  Decision 15/4  adopted  by  the  Conference  of  the  Parties  to  the 
Convention  on  Biological  Diversity:  Kunming–Montreal  global 
biodiversity  framework  (https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-
15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf). 
European  Commission:  Joint  Research  Centre  and  EEA,  EU 
Ecosystem  Assessment –  Summary  for  policymakers,  Publications 
Office 
2021, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/81ff1498-b91d-11eb-8aca-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en. 
Proposal  for  a  regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and of  the 
Council  amending  Regulation  (EU)  No 691/2011  as  regards 

European  Union, 

Luxembourg, 

the 

(92) 

of 

of 

final 

2022, 

11 July 

introducing  new  environmental  economic  accounts  modules, 
COM(2022) 329 
https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2022:329:FIN. 
(https://green-
The  EU  Business  &  Biodiversity  Platform 
business.ec.europa.eu/business-and-biodiversity_en) 
to 
aims 
promote  the  business  case  for  biodiversity  to  businesses  and 
financial institutions through workshops, seminars, reports and a 
cross-media communication strategy. 
https://www.nesc.ie/news-events/press-releases/council-report-
no-164-natural-capital-accounting-a-guide-for-action/. 

(93) 

(94) 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
Ireland  25 

Clean air

3. Zero pollution 

EU  clean  air  policies  and  legislation  have  successfully 
reduced  emissions  of  key  air  pollutants  and  significantly 
improved  air  quality,  which  is  now  moving  towards  the 
levels  recommended  by  the  World  Health  Organization 
(WHO).  This  has  resulted  in  clear  health  benefits  and 
reduced adverse impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. 
However, to achieve the WHO-recommended levels, more 
efforts  are  needed,  including  full  compliance  with  EU 
legislation.  To  guide  these  efforts,  the  EU  zero  pollution 
action plan sets targets for 2030 relative to. 2005. These 
are to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 55 % 
and  to  reduce  the  EU  ecosystems  threatened  by  air 
pollution by 25 %. 

methane  volatile  organic  compounds  (NMVOC),  sulphur 
dioxide  (SO2)  and  PM2.5,  and  has  not  met  them  for 
ammonia  (NH3).  According  to  the 
latest  projections 
submitted under Article 10(2) of the NECD in 2023, Ireland 
is projected to meet its emission reduction commitments 
for 2030 onwards for NOx, SO2, NH3 and PM2.5, but not for 
NMVOC. 

Ireland  submitted  its  updated  national  air  pollution 
control programme (NAPCP) to the Commission on 7 May 
2024. 

Figure 16:  Emission  trends  of  main  pollutants /  GDP  in 
Ireland (%), 2005–2022 

The EU has developed a comprehensive suite of air quality 
policies (95).  These  set  health-based  EU  air  quality 
standards (96)  and  stipulate  Member  States’  national 
emission  reduction  commitments (97)  for  several  air 
pollutants. 

The  air  quality  in  Ireland  is  generally  good,  with  some 
exceptions. 

The  latest  available  annual  estimates  (for  2022)  by  the 
EEA (98)  for  Ireland  attribute  530  deaths  each  year  (or 
6 000 years  of  life  lost  (YLL))  to  fine  particulate  matter 
(PM2.5) (99),  100  deaths  each  year  (or  1 200 YLL)  to 
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (100) and 240 deaths each year (or 
2 800 YLL) to ozone (101). 

The  emissions  of  several  air  pollutants  have  decreased 
significantly in Ireland since 2005, while GDP growth has 
continued  (see  Figure 16).  According  to  the  inventories 
submitted  under  Article 10(2)  of  the  National  Emission 
Reduction  Commitments  Directive  (NECD) (102)  in  2024, 
Ireland  has  met  its emission  reduction commitments for 
2020–2029 for air pollutants  nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-

300%

250%

200%

150%

100%

50%

0%

NH₃

PM2.5
PM2.5

NMVOC

SO₂

NOₓ

GDP

Source: EEA, ‘National air pollutant  emissions data viewer 2005–2022’, 
25 June 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/air-
pollution/national-air-pollutant-emissions-data-viewer-2005-2022. 

2024, 

(95) 

(96) 

(97) 

(98) 

(99) 

European  Commission,  ‘Air’,  European  Commission  website, 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/air_en. 
European  Commission,  ‘EU  air  quality  standards’,  European 
Commission 
website, 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/air/air-quality/eu-air-
quality-standards_en. 
European  Commission,  ‘Reducing  emissions  of  air  pollutants’, 
European 
website, 
Commission 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/air/reducing-
emissions-air-pollutants_en. 
EEA, Harm to human health from air pollution in Europe: Burden of 
disease  2024,  briefing  No 21/2024,  Copenhagen,  2024, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/harm-to-
human-health-from-air-pollution-2024. 
Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and 
liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. 
PM10  refers  to  particles  with  a  diameter  of  10 µm  or  less.  PM2.5 

refers to particles with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less. PM is emitted 
from many human sources, including combustion. 

(100)  Nitrogen  dioxide  (NO2)  here  pertains  to  a  group  of  gases  called 
NOx, which also comprises nitrogen monoxide (NO). NOx is emitted 
during fuel combustion – for example, from industrial facilities and 
the road transport sector. 
Low-level  ozone 
is  produced  by  photochemical  action  on 
pollution.  This  year,  for  the  first  time,  the  impact  of  long-term 
exposure to ozone has also been taken into account. In previous 
analysis by the EEA, only the impact of short-term exposure was 
estimated. 

(101) 

(102)  Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  14 December  2016  on  the  reduction  of  national 
emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 
2003/35/EC  and  repealing  Directive  2001/81/EC  (OJ  L 344, 
17.12.2016, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2016.344.01.0001.01.ENG. 

p. 1), 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Figure 17: PM2.5 and NOx emissions  by  sector in Ireland 
(%), 2022 

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Waste

Transport

Residential,
commercial &
institutional

Manufacturing
and extractive
industry

Energy supply

Agriculture

PM2.5
PM2.5
2,25%

14,02%

NOₓ

0,02%

39,70%

48,91%

7,44%

22,64%

8,65%

4,36%

7,82%

8,38%

35,81%

Source: EEA, ‘National air pollutant  emissions data viewer 2005–2022’, 
25 June 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/air-
pollution/national-air-pollutant-emissions-data-viewer-2005-2022. 

2024, 

In 2023, no exceedances above the limit values set by the 
Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) (103) were registered 
in Ireland (104). 

Infringement procedures have been opened for  Member 
States not meeting the emission reduction commitments 
for  2020–2029;  this  includes  a  procedure  for  Ireland  for 
NH3 (105). 

In the 2022 EIR, Ireland received three priority actions. The 
first priority action was to further reduce emissions in the 
context of the NAPCP. Ireland has not made progress on 
this,  as  the  latest  reported  data  show  continued  non-
compliance  with  the  2020–2029  emission  reduction 
commitment  for  NH3  and  also  project  non-compliance 
with the emission reduction commitments for NMVOC for 

Ireland  26 

2030 onwards. The second priority action was to ensure 
full compliance with EU air quality standards and maintain 
downward  emission  trends.  Based  on  the  latest  data, 
Ireland  has  made  significant  progress  in  this  regard.  Full 
compliance has been ensured for all limit values and target 
values. Since 2019, downward emission trends have been 
reported  for  all  main  air  pollutants.  However,  for  NH3, 
these  are  above  2005  levels  and  require  further  action. 
The third priority action received by Ireland was to ratify 
the amended Gothenburg Protocol, which has been done. 

2025 priority actions 

•  As part of the NAPCP, take action to reduce emissions 

• 

of air pollutants. 
Ensure  full  compliance  with  the  current  AAQD 
standards, also in light of future stricter requirements 
under the revised AAQD. 

Industrial emissions 

The  main objectives of EU policy on industrial emissions 
are to: 

(i)  protect  air,  water  and  soil  and  to  prevent  harmful 
effects on human health and the environment; 

(ii)  prevent and manage waste; 
(iii)  improve  energy  and  resource  efficiency,  including 

water; 

(iv)  contribute to decarbonisation. 

The  cornerstone  of  the  policy  is  the  Industrial  Emissions 
Directive  (IED),  which  was  revised  in  2024 (106).  The 
revision improves the directive’s contribution to the zero 
pollution  objective.  It  has  a  strong  focus  on  innovation, 
and 
depollution, 
decarbonisation and circularity, making it a key regulatory 
tool  to  accompany  the  green  transformation  of  EU 
industry by 2050. 

between 

builds 

solid 

links 

The overview of industrial activities regulated by the IED 
below  is  based  on  data  reported  to  the  EU  Registry  in 
2022 (107). 

In Ireland, there were about 650 installations covered by 
the IED in 2022 (108), just under half of them (44 %) being 
installations  for  the  intensive  rearing  of  poultry  or  pigs. 
The other main sectors are the waste management sector 

(103)  Directive  2008/50/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for 
Europe 
https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32008L0050. 
Repository 

(104)  EEA, 

11.6.2008, 

Central 

L 152, 

p. 1), 

Data 

(OJ 

Eionet 
(https://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/). 
INFR(2022)2073. 

(105) 
(106)  Directive  2010/75/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial and livestock rearing 
emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (OJ L 334, 

17.12.2010, p. 17), as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/1785 of the 
European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24 April  2024, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02010L0075-
20240804&qid=1725983863299. 
European 

Portal, 
Industrial 
https://industry.eea.europa.eu/, 2022 being the baseline year for 
all reports. 
In general, 2022 is used as the baseline for all Member States. 

Emissions 

(107)  EEA, 

(108) 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
(17 %),  the  food  and  drink  industry  (14 %)  and  the 
chemical sector (7 %). 

Figure 19: Industrial releases of pollutants to water and 
industrial activity in the EU-27 

Ireland  27 

Figure 18  shows  the  damage  to  health  and  the 
environment due to the main industrial air pollutants. As 
this  depends  on,  among  other  factors,  the  size  of  the 
industrial  sector  in  each  Member  State,  the  figure  also 
shows  the  ratio  between  the  damage  and  the  industrial 
activity  (expressed  in  gross  value  added  (GVA)),  which 
gives an indication of the emissions ‘intensity’. Ireland has 
the  second 
in  the  EU 
(EUR 2.9/EUR 1 000  GVA),  far  below  the  EU  average  of 
sectors 
EUR 27.5/EUR 1 000  GVA.  The  main 
contributing to emissions to air (109) are the energy sector 
and the mineral industry for NOx, dust and SO2 emissions, 
and the energy sector for heavy metals, especially nickel. 

lowest  emissions 

intensity 

IED 

Figure 18:  Industrial  air  pollution  damage  and  intensity 
per Member State, 2021 

Source: EEA, ‘ ndustrial pollution intensity indicators – EU large industry 
air  pollution  damage  costs  intensity’,  European   ndustrial  Emissions 
Portal, 
https://industry.eea.europa.eu/analyse/industrial-
emissions-indicator. 

2024, 

Overall, the industrial emissions to water in the EU have 
decreased  over  time  for  all  the  main  pollutants.  On 
average in the EU, they appear to be decoupled from the 
industrial  activity,  which  has  increased  over  the  same 
period (expressed in GVA), as shown in Figure 19. 

NB:  Cd,  cadmium; Hg,  mercury;  Ni,  nickel;  Pb,  lead;  TOC,  total  organic 
carbon; total N, total nitrogen; total P, total phosphorous. 

Source:  EEA,  ‘ ndustrial  pollutant  releases to  water  in  Europe’,   0 May 
2024, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/industrial-
pollutant-releases-to-water. 

Concerning  Ireland  in  particular,  Figure 21  shows  the 
industrial emissions of heavy metals to water, taking into 
account  the  human  toxicity  of  each  metal,  as  well  as 
emissions  intensity,  based  on  its  ratio  with  industrial 
activity  (expressed  in  GVA).  Ireland  ranks  among  the 
Member  States  with  the  lowest  emission  intensities  (far 
below the EU average of 0.864 kg/EUR 1 billion GVA). As 
shown  in  Figure 21,  the  main  industrial  contributors  to 
emissions to water in Ireland are the chemical sector for 
heavy  metals  (human  toxicity)  and  the  energy  sector 
(electricity and heat production) for total organic carbon. 

Figure 20:  Industrial  releases  and  intensity  of  heavy 
metals to water per Member State, 2022 

Source: EEA, ‘ ndustrial pollution intensity indicators – EU large industry 
water  pollution  intensity’,  European   ndustrial  Emissions  Portal,  202 , 
https://industry.eea.europa.eu/analyse/industrial-emissions-indicator. 

(109)  European  Environment  Agency,  LRTAP,  Air  pollutant  emissions 
data viewer (Gothenburg Protocol, LRTAP Convention) 1990-2022, 

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/air-pollution/air-
pollutant-emissions-data-viewer-1990-2022. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 21:  Relative  releases  to  water  from  industry  in 
Ireland (%), 2022 

environmental permits. This should result in considerable 
and continuous reductions in pollution. 

Ireland  28 

100%

75%

50%

25%

0%

Heavy Metals Ecotoxicity

Heavy Metals Human
Toxicity

Total organic carbon (TOC)

Chemicals
Extractive industry

Electricity and heat production
Refineries

Source: EEA, ‘Industrial reporting under the Industrial Emissions Directive 
2010/75/EU  and  European  Pollutant  Release  and  Transfer  Register 
Regulation (EC)  No 166/2006 –  ver. 12.0  Sep.  202   (tabular  data)’,  EEA 
Geospatial 
2024, 
Catalogue, 
https://doi.org/10.2909/cf5e54c1-be99-4426-bcad-baa26c4f27a0. 

13 September 

Data 

IED 

contains  mandatory 

IED  provisions  on  public  information  and  participation 
require Member States to adopt transposition legislation 
enabling members of the public to have access to relevant 
information  and  participate  in  the  approval  process  for 
potentially  polluting  installations.  Thus,  the  public  and 
NGOs,  alongside  competent  authorities,  play  a  role  in 
ensuring compliance of these permits with EU legislation. 
requirements  on 
The 
environmental  inspections,  requiring  a  site  visit  to  take 
place at least every 1–3 years, using risk-based criteria. In 
addition,  IED  enforcement  provisions  require  Member 
to  determine  effective,  proportionate,  and 
States 
dissuasive  penalties  applicable  to  infringements  of  IED-
based  national  provisions.  In  the  revised  directive,  the 
provisions set that worst infringements can be sanctioned 
by fines of at least  3% of the annual EU turnover of the 
legal  person.  The  revised  IED  also  introduces  a  right  to 
compensation for people whose health has been harmed 
by such infringements. 

The development of best available techniques (BATs), BAT 
reference  documents  and  BAT  conclusions  ensures 
effective collaboration between stakeholders and enables 
better implementation of the IED. 

Since  the  2022  EIR,  the  Commission  has  adopted  BAT 
conclusions on (i) ferrous metal processing, (ii) the textiles 
industry,  (iii)  common  waste  gas  management  and 
in  the  chemical  sector  and  (iv) 
treatment  systems 
smitheries and foundries. 

The  Commission  relies  on  the  efforts  of  national 
competent  authorities  to  implement  the  legally  binding 
BAT  conclusions  and  associated  BAT  emission  levels  in 

In  2022,  Ireland  received  the  priority  action  to  continue 
addressing  air  pollution  from  the  energy  sector.  Ireland 
made substantial progress in addressing air pollution from 
this sector. 

2025 priority actions 

• 

• 

Engage  with  industry  and  environmental  NGOs  to 
ensure proper contribution to and implementation of 
BAT conclusions and ensure timely updates of permits 
following the publication of BAT conclusions. 
Ensure  effective  public  participation  and  access  to 
justice in relation to the IED. 

Major industrial accidents prevention – Seveso 

The  main  objectives  of  EU  policy  on  the  prevention  of 
major industrial accidents are to: 

(i)  control  major-accident  hazards  involving  dangerous 

substances, especially chemicals; 

(ii)  limit the consequences of such accidents for human 

health and the environment; 

(iii)  continuously 

improve 

the 

prevention 

of, 

preparedness for and response to major accidents. 

The cornerstone of the policy is Directive 2012/18/EU (the 
Seveso III Directive) (110). 

The overview below of industrial plants regulated by the 
Seveso III Directive (‘Seveso establishments’) is based on 
data  reported  on  eSPIRS  (e-Seveso  Plants  Information 
Retrieval  System)  for  2022–2024 (111)  and  the  report  by 
Ireland on the implementation of the Seveso III Directive 
for 2019–2022 (112). 

In 2024,  of  the  105 Seveso establishments in Ireland, 55 
were categorised as lower-tier establishments and  50 as 
upper-tier establishments (UTEs), based on the quantity of 
hazardous  substances  likely  to  be  present.  UTEs  are 
subject to more stringent requirements. The change in the 
number  of  Seveso  establishments 
in 
Figure 22. 

is  presented 

(110)  Directive  2012/18/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  4 July  2012  on  the  control  of  major-accident  hazards 
involving  dangerous  substances,  amending  and  subsequently 

repealing  Council  Directive  96/82/EC  (OJ  L 197,  24.7.2012,  p. 1), 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2012/18/oj. 
; data extracted in September 2024. 

(111) 
(112)  As provided for by Article 21(2) of the Seveso III Directive. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Ireland  29 

Figure 22: Number of Seveso  establishments  in Ireland, 
2018, 2022 and 2024 

NB: LTE, lower-tier establishment. 

2022, 

Sources:  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Assessment and summary of Member States’ implementation reports for 
(implementing  Directive 
Implementing  Decision 
2014/896/EU 
2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major  accident  hazards 
involving 
dangerous  substances),  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union, 
Luxembourg, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/94d57d74-735b-11ec-9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en/format-PDF/source-search;  eSPIRS  data,  extractions  from  2022  and 
2024;  Analysis  and  summary  of  Member  States' 
reports  on 
implementation of Directive 2012/18/EU on the control of major accident 
hazards  involving  dangerous  substances  according  to  the  format 
established  by  Commission  Implementing  Decision  2014/896/EU  - 
Publications  Office  of  the  EU,  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-
detail/-/publication/9bd73087-e9b8-11ef-b5e9-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 

Member  States  are  required  to  draw  up  external 
emergency plans (EEPs). These EEPs are essential to allow 
proper  preparation  and  effective  implementation  of  the 
necessary  actions  to  protect  the  environment  and  the 
population should a major industrial accident occur. 

According to Ireland, in 2022, an EEP was required for all 
49  UTEs.  They  all  had  an  EEP  and  47  of  these  EEPs  had 
been tested within the previous three years. The summary 
is shown in Figure 23. 

Figure 23: Situation regarding EEPs in Ireland, 2022 

Sources:  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Assessment and summary of Member States’ implementation reports for 
(implementing  Directive 
2014/896/EU 
Implementing  Decision 
2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major  accident  hazards 
involving 
dangerous  substances),  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union, 

2022, 

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-

Luxembourg, 
/publication/94d57d74-735b-11ec-9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en/format-PDF/source-search;  eSPIRS  data,  extractions  from  2022  and 
2024;  Analysis  and  summary  of  Member  States' 
reports  on 
implementation of Directive 2012/18/EU on the control of major accident 
hazards  involving  dangerous  substances  according  to  the  format 
established  by  Commission  Implementing  Decision  2014/896/EU  - 
Publications  Office  of  the  EU,  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-
detail/-/publication/9bd73087-e9b8-11ef-b5e9-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 

The  following  types  of  information  are  permanently 
available  for  all  Seveso  establishments  in  Ireland:  (i) 
information  for  the  public  referred  to  in  Annex V  to  the 
Seveso III  Directive,  especially  about  how  the  public 
concerned will be warned if there is a major accident; (ii) 
information about appropriate behaviour in the event of a 
major accident; and (iii) the date of the last site visit. 

The  shares  of  UTEs  for  which  information  on  safety 
measures  and  requisite  behaviours  was  actively  made 
available to the public in 2022 in the EU-27 are presented 
in Figure 24. This provision on knowledge is an important 
provision of the Seveso III Directive, as awareness by the 
public  of 
the 
consequences of a major industrial accident. 

information  may  ameliorate 

this 

Figure 24: Share of UTEs for which information on safety 
measures  and  requisite  behaviours  was  actively  made 
available to the public per Member State (%), 2022 

NB: No data available for Greece. 

2022, 

Sources:  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Assessment and summary of Member States’ implementation reports for 
(implementing  Directive 
Implementing  Decision 
2014/896/EU 
2012/18/EU  on  the  control  of  major  accident  hazards 
involving 
dangerous  substances),  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
Luxembourg, 
/publication/94d57d74-735b-11ec-9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en/format-PDF/source-search;  eSPIRS  data,  extractions  from  2022  and 
2024;  Analysis  and  summary  of  Member  States' 
reports  on 
implementation of Directive 2012/18/EU on the control of major accident 
hazards  involving  dangerous  substances  according  to  the  format 
established  by  Commission  Implementing  Decision  2014/896/EU  - 
Publications  Office  of  the  EU,  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-
detail/-/publication/9bd73087-e9b8-11ef-b5e9-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 

Ireland  has  not  signed  and  ratified  the  United  Nations 
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on 
the  Transboundary  Effects  of  Industrial  Accidents  (as 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
Ireland  30 

amended in 2015), which applies to (i) the prevention of, 
preparedness  for  and  response  to  industrial  accidents 
capable  of  causing  transboundary  effects;  and  (ii) 
international  cooperation 
industrial 
accidents  concerning,  among  other  things,  mutual 
assistance by signatory countries. 

in  the  event  of 

In  2022,  Ireland  received  a  priority  action  to  strengthen 
control and enforcement  to  ensure compliance with  the 
Seveso III  Directive  rules,  especially  those  on  EEPs. 
Substantial progress has been made in that regard. 

2025 priority action 

• 

Sign  and  ratify  the  UNECE  Convention  on  the 
Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. 

Mercury Regulation 

The  Mercury  Regulation  establishes  measures  and 
conditions concerning the use and storage of and trade in 
mercury,  mercury  compounds  and  mixtures  of  mercury, 
the manufacture and use of and trade in mercury-added 
products and the management of mercury waste, in order 
to ensure a high level of protection of human health and 
the  environment  from  anthropogenic  emissions  and 
releases of mercury and mercury compounds. The revision 
of the Mercury Regulation adopted in 2024 sets out rules 
to address the last intentional uses of mercury in the EU 
by  phasing  out  the  use  of  dental  amalgam  by  1 January 
2025 except when deemed strictly necessary by the dental 
practitioner  based  on  the  specific  medical  needs  of  the 
patient,  and  prohibiting  the  manufacture  and  export  of 
additional mercury-containing lamps from 1 January 2026 
or 1 January 2027 (depending on the lamp category). 

In 2019, 20 % of dental treatments were still using dental 
amalgam,  which  represented  a  challenge  for  Ireland  to 
phase out its use by 1 January 2025. However, measures 
should  have  been  put  in  place  to  ensure  a  socially  and 
economically  sound  phase-out,  including  an  adequate 
reimbursement  of  the  alternatives  to  dental  amalgam 
through the health insurance scheme and the training of 
dental  practitioners.  The  Commission 
is  monitoring 
whether the phase-out  has taken place under the terms 

and conditions of the regulation. Ireland will also need to 
ensure  that  the  manufacture  and  export  of  mercury-
containing lamps are prohibited by the deadlines set out 
in the Mercury Regulation. 

Noise 

The  Environmental  Noise  Directive (113)  requires  a 
common  approach  to  avoid,  prevent  and  reduce  the 
harmful  effects  of  noise.  The  designated  authorities  are 
responsible  for  making  and  approving  noise  maps  and 
action  plans  for  agglomerations,  major  roads,  major 
railways  and  major  airports.  Member  States  decide  on 
noise limits that are not set at the EU level. Nevertheless, 
the zero pollution action plan sets as a 2030 target a 30 % 
reduction  compared  with  2017  in  the  share  of  people 
chronically disturbed by transport noise. 

Excessive noise from aircraft, railways and roads is one of 
the main causes of environmental health‐related issues in 
the  EU.  It  can  cause  ischaemic  heart  disease,  stroke, 
interrupted sleep, cognitive impairment and stress (114). 

In  Ireland,  environmental  noise  is  estimated  to  cause  at 
least  around  150  cases  of 
ischaemic  heart  disease 
annually (115)  and  some  34 000  people  to  suffer  from 
disturbed sleep (116). 

Based  on  the  latest  set  of  information  analysed,  Ireland 
has  completed  its  noise  mapping  of  agglomerations, 
roads, railways and airports. 

Action  plans  for  noise  management  for  agglomerations, 
roads,  railways  and  airports  must  be  updated  and 
submitted  to  the  Commission  every  five  years.  The 
deadline for reporting noise action plans under the most 
recent  reporting  cycle  was  18 January  2025;  these  plans 
have not been assessed yet. 

2025 priority action 

• 

Complete  and  implement  action  plans  on  noise 
management. 

(113)  Directive  2002/49/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  25 June  2002  relating  to  the  assessment  and 
management  of  environmental  noise –  Declaration  by  the 
Commission  in  the  Conciliation  Committee  on  the  directive 
relating  to  the  assessment  and  management  of  environmental 
noise (OJ L 189, 18.7.2002, p. 12), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32002L0049. 

(114)  WHO,  Environmental  Noise  Guidelines  for  the  European  Region, 
Copenhagen, 
2018, 
https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/978928905356
3. 

(115)  These figures are an estimation by the EEA based on (i) the data 
reported  by  Member  States  on  noise  exposure  covered  by 
Directive 2002/49/EC for the round of noise mapping of 2022; (ii) 

European  Topic  Centre  on  Air  Pollution,  Transport,  Noise  and 
Industrial  Pollution  (ETC/ATNI),  Noise 
Indicators  under  the 
Environmental Noise Directive 2021: Methodology for estimating 
missing  data,  Eionet  report  ETC/ATNI  No 2021/06, Kjeller,  2021; 
and  (iii)  the  methodology  for  health  impact  calculations  in 
European  Topic  Centre  on  Air  Pollution  and  Climate  Change 
Mitigation  (ETC/ACM),  Implications  of  environmental  noise  on 
in  Europe,  Eionet  report  ETC/ACM 
health  and  wellbeing 
No 2018/10, 
2018, 
https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-atni/products/etc-atni-
reports/eionet_rep_etcacm_2018_10_healthimplicationsnoise. 

Bilthoven, 

(116)  More information on the adverse health effects of noise pollution 

is available at: 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/human/noise/noise-2 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
  
Water quality and management 

EU  legislation  and  policy  requires  that  the  impact  of 
pressures on transitional waters, coastal waters and fresh 
water  (including  surface  waters  and  groundwater)  be 
significantly reduced. Achieving, maintaining or enhancing 
a  good  status  of  waterbodies  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework  Directive will ensure that EU citizens benefit 
from good-quality and safe drinking and bathing water. It 
will  further  ensure  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

Water Framework Directive 

Directive 
form 

The Water Framework Directive (117) is the cornerstone of 
EU  water  policy  in  the  21st  century (118).  The  Water 
Framework 
other  water-related 
and 
directives (119) 
the  basis  of  sustainable  and 
integrated  water  management  in  the  EU.  They  aim  to 
achieve  a  high  level  of  protection  of  water  resources, 
prevention  of  further  deterioration  and  restoration  to 
good status. These objectives are very important for the 
EU’s  competitiveness,  strategic  autonomy  and  security, 
yet  have  become  even  more  challenging  in  the  face  of 
climate change affecting our precious water resources. 

The Water Framework Directive establishes a procedural 
framework for reaching good surface water ecological and 
chemical  status  and  good  groundwater  quantitative  and 
chemical status. This implies monitoring and classification 
of all waterbodies, assessment  of pressures and impacts 
and identification of the most cost-effective measures to 
achieve the objectives of the directive. The directive dates 
from 2000 and set an initial deadline of 2015 for achieving 
its objectives, with the option to extend the deadline to 
the  end  of  2027.  Every  six  years,  Member  States  must 
report their river basin management plans (RBMPs) to the 
Commission. They should cover river basin districts in their 
countries,  some  of  which  may  be  shared  with  other 
countries. The Commission has assessed the third cycle of 

(117)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32000L0060. 

(118)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water_en. 
(119)  These 

the  Groundwater  Directive 

include 

the 

Floods 

(https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006L0118), 
the  Environmental  Quality  Standards  Directive  (https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/105/oj), 
Directive 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32007L0060), the Bathing Water 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
Directive 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006L0007), 
Urban 
Wastewater 
(https://eur-
Directive 
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A31991L0271), 
(https://eur-
new 
the 
lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32020L2184), 
Directive 

Nitrates 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

Drinking  Water 

Treatment 

Directive 

the 

the 

Ireland  31 

RBMPs, which were to be submitted by March 2022, and 
reported  its  findings  to  the  European  Parliament  and  to 
the Council on 4 February 2025 (120). 

Ireland failed to comply with its legal obligations and did 
not report the third RBMP in time (i.e. by 22 March 2022). 
As  a  result,  the  Commission  launched  legal  proceedings. 
The  third  RBMP  was  finally  reported  in  early  September 
2024 and the infringement procedure was closed. 

However, as a result of the very late reporting of the third 
RBMP,  the  Commission  has  not  been  in  a  position  to 
include Ireland in its report on the assessment of the third 
RBMPs  to  the  European  Parliament  and  to  the  Council. 
Therefore, it is also not possible to update the 2022 EIR on 
that basis. Hence, reference  is made to the previous EIR 
report (121) for an overview of the main issues identified at 
the time. 

initiated  an 

infringement 
The  Commission  has  also 
procedure  because  of 
Ireland’s  failure  to  correctly 
transpose  the  provisions  of  the  Water  Framework 
Directive. Despite some progress and the adoption of new 
legislation in June 2022, the Irish authorities have not yet 
fully addressed the grievances, more than 20 years since 
the  entry  into  force  of  this  directive.  This  is  why  the 
Commission referred the case to the Court of Justice of the 
European  Union (122).  The  key  grievances  relate  to  the 
failure  of  the  legal  framework  in  Ireland  to  address 
pressures from water abstraction and hydromorphology. 

Ireland has not yet ratified the UNECE Convention on the 
Protection  and  Use  of  Transboundary  Watercourses  and 
International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention). 

2025 priority action 

•  Ratify  the  UNECE  Convention  on the  Protection  and 
and 

Use 
International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention). 

Transboundary  Watercourses 

of 

content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A31991L0676), 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32008L0056) 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32010L0075). 

the 

MSFD 

and 

the 

IED 

(120)  European Commission, 2025 

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/circabc-ewpp/ui/group/c04f478b-
d4dc-44f9-a211-087c01165b2c/library/faada4be-9fc3-4a48-
b972-f71e356019d5?p=1&n=10&sort=modified_DESC. 

(121)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/law-and-

governance/environmental-implementation-review_en#country-
reports. 

(122) 

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_23_
142. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Floods Directive 

Drinking Water Directive 

Ireland  32 

Every six years, following the same reporting cycle as the 
RBMPs,  all  Member  States  report  their  flood  risk 
management  plans  (FRMPs),  based  on  the  flood  hazard 
and  risk  maps  (FHRMs)  and  the  preliminary  flood  risk 
assessments  drawn  up  during  the  second  cycle  (2016–
2021). 

The  Commission  assessed  the  FRMPs  and  reported  its 
findings to the European Parliament and to the Council on 
4th  February  2025,  together  with  the  assessment  of  the 
RBMPs. 

There  are  three  units  of  management  in  Ireland,  which 
equate  to  the  Water  Framework  Directive’s  river  basin 
districts. 

Ireland has not adopted new FRMPs but has completed a 
review of the first FRMPs. This review now includes a clear 
description of how the preliminary flood risk assessments 
were used in the second FHRMs and the 2021 review. The 
review indicates that the community-level measures have 
(for  the  most  part)  been  confirmed  and  developed.  The 
approach  to  project  appraisal  was  changed  to  better 
capture indirect and/or intangible environmental, cultural 
heritage  and  societal  benefits.  Existing  flood  measures 
were  assessed  for  consistency  with  Ireland’s  climate 
change 
risk 
management,  which  represents  significant  progress  in 
considering the impacts of climate change on flooding and 
flood risk. 

sectoral  adaptation  plan 

flood 

for 

2025 priority actions 

• 

FRMPs  should  provide  details  on  how  the  FHRMs 
were  used  in  the  choice  of  measures  and  how  to 
consider pluvial flooding. 

•  Better explain the choice and implementation of flood 
prevention  and  protection  measures  (prioritisation, 
monitoring, costs of measures). 
Improve  public 
involvement. 

consultation  and 

stakeholder 

• 

The recast Drinking Water Directive is now applicable, and 
Member States were required to transpose its provisions 
into their national legal systems by 12 January 2023. Since 
into  force  of  the  recast  directive,  the 
the  entry 
several  delegated  and 
Commission  has  adopted 
implementing  acts  establishing  (i)  a  watch 
list  of 
substances  and  compounds  of  concern  for  drinking 
water (123), (ii) a methodology for measuring microplastics 
in drinking water (124) and (iii) an EU system for testing and 
approving materials that will be allowed to be in contact 
with drinking water (125). Member States will have to take 
these  various  Commission  acts 
into  account  when 
implementing the recast directive. 

Finally,  the  Commission  has  now  received  data  from 
Member States on the quality of drinking water (supplied 
by large water suppliers)  in 2017-2019. In summary, the 
compliance for all parameter groups in Ireland was at least 
99.52 % in 2017, 99.29 % in 2018 and 98.86 % in 2019. 

On 25 January 2024, the Court of Justice of the European 
Union  delivered  its  judgment  against  Ireland  in  Case  C-
481/22 (126)  for  its  failure  to  ensure  that  the  level  of 
trihalomethanes  in  30  drinking  water  supply  zones  was 
safe.  The  Commission 
Ireland’s 
implementation of this judgment. 

is  following  up  on 

From  January  2026,  the  European  quality  standards  for 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water will 
apply, ensuring harmonised Member States’ reporting of 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance monitoring data in the 
future. 

2025 priority action 
• 

Take  action  to  ensure  full  compliance  with  the 
Drinking Water Directive. 

Bathing Water Directive 

The  Bathing  Water  Directive  requires  Member  States  to 
monitor and assess bathing water. It requires that, during 
the  bathing  season,  Member  States  disseminate  to  the 
public information on bathing water quality actively and 
promptly. In particular, notices banning or advising against 
bathing should be rapidly and easily identifiable. 

(123)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/implementing-

decision-drinking-water-directive-watch-list_en. 

(124)  Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2024/1441 of 11 March 2024 
supplementing  Directive  (EU)  2020/2184  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council by laying down a methodology to 
measure microplastics in water intended for human consumption 
(notified  under  document  C(2024) 1459)  (OJ  L,  2024/1441, 
21.5.2024), http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_del/2024/1441/oj. 

(125)  OJ L, 2024/365, 23.4.2024, 

http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/365/oj; OJ L, 
2024/367, 23.4.2024, 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/367/oj; OJ L, 

(126) 

2024/369, 23.4.2024, 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/369/oj; OJ L, 2024/368, 
23.4.2024, http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/368/oj; OJ 
L, 2024/370, 23.4.2024, 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/370/oj; OJ L, 2024/371, 
23.4.2024, http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/371/oj; see 
the Commission web page on all six delegated acts for more 
information 
(https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/delegated-acts-
drinking-water-directive_en). 
Judgment  of  25 January  2024,  Commission 
(Trihalométhanes dans l’eau potable), C-481/22, EU:C:2024:85. 

v 

Ireland 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Ireland  33 

Irish  report  on  implementation  of  the  Nitrates  Directive 
(2020-2023) (129) concludes that there has been an overall 
decline in water quality in Ireland since 2016-2019, with 
rising  nitrate  concentrations  in  groundwater,  rivers  and 
transitional  waters.  Under  the  CAP  Strategic  Plan  2023-
2027,  multiple  interventions  targeting  around  32%  of 
agricultural land focus on improving the quality of water 
bodies.  They  include  support  for  reducing  the  use  of 
low-emission  slurry 
chemical  nitrogen  and  use  of 
spreading and creating riparian zones to reduce runoff to 
water courses. 

In  2022,  Ireland  received  a  priority  action  on  tackling 
nutrient  pollution,  especially  nitrates  from  agriculture, 
through the implementation of the Nitrates Directive. The 
Commission  is  currently  processing  the  Member  State 
reports  on  the  implementation  of  the  Nitrates  Directive 
2020-2023 and expects to publish its summary report by 
the end of 2025. Therefore, the 2022 EIR priority action is 
repeated. 

2025 priority action 

• 

Tackle  nutrient  pollution,  especially  nitrates  from 
agriculture,  through  the 
implementation  of  the 
Nitrates Directive. 

Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 

The  Urban  Wastewater  Treatment  Directive  (UWWTD) 
aims to protect human health and the environment from 
the effects of untreated urban waste water. It therefore 
requires Member States to collect and treat (secondary or 
biological  treatment)  waste  water  in  all  urban  areas  of 
more  than  2 000  people,  and  to  apply  a  more  stringent 
treatment 
than  secondary,  with  nitrogen  and/or 
phosphorus  removal,  to  the  waste  water  generated  in 
urban areas, also known as agglomerations, of more than 
10 000 people, before they are discharged into waters and 
their  catchments,  when  they  are  sensitive  to  nitrogen 
and/or phosphorus (i.e. eutrophic or tending to become 
eutrophic). 

In  2020,  47 %  of  urban  waste  water  was  collected  and 
treated in compliance with the directive’s requirements in 
Ireland. 

Figure 25 shows that in 2023, out of the 148 Irish bathing 
waters, 114 (77 %) were of excellent quality, 24 (16.2 %) 
bathing waters were of good quality and 5 (3.4 %) bathing 
waters  were  of  sufficient  quality.  Five  bathing  waters 
(3.4 %) were found to be of poor quality. 

Figure 25:  Bathing  water  quality  per  Member  State, 
Albania and Switzerland (%), 2023 

Source:  EEA,  European  Bathing  Water  Quality 
No 04/2024, 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-bathing-water-
quality-in-2023/. 

in  2023,  briefing 
2024, 

Copenhagen, 

Nitrates Directive 

The  Nitrates  Directive (127)  aims  to  protect  water  quality 
across  Europe  by  preventing  nitrates  from  agricultural 
sources that can pollute groundwater and surface waters 
and by promoting the use of good farming practices. 

The  latest  Commission  report  on  the  implementation  of 
the  Nitrates  Directive (128),  dating  to  2021,  warns  that 
nitrates are still causing harmful pollution to water in the 
EU. Excessive nitrates in water are harmful to both human 
health  and  ecosystems,  causing  oxygen  depletion  and 
eutrophication. Cleaning of waters by national authorities 
or  farmers,  where  it  has  been  undertaken,  has  had  a 
positive  impact  on  the  drinking  water  supply  and  on 
biodiversity.  It  has  also  benefited  the  sectors –  such  as 
fisheries and tourism – that depend on biodiversity and on 
a good supply of drinking water. Nevertheless, excessive 
fertilisation  remains  a  problem  in  many parts  of  the EU. 
The report on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive 
covering 2020–2023 will be available in 2025. 

The  analysis  of   reland’s  previous  RBMPs  had  identified 
nutrients  from  agriculture  as  an  important  pressure  on 
groundwater /  surface  waters  that  is  affecting  these 
waters’ good status and as one of the main factors in not 
meeting  the  Water  Framework  Directive  objectives.  The 

(127)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?qid=1561542776070&uri=CELEX:01991L0676-
20081211. 

(128)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/nitrates_en. 
(129)   Article 10 Report for Ireland for the Period 2020-2023), page 48, 

https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--
assessment/freshwater--marine/Nitrates-Article-10-Report-for-
Ireland-2020-2023.pdf.  

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
Figure 26:  Proportion  of  urban  waste  water  that  fully 
complies with the UWWTD (%), 2020 

Ireland  34 

water. Other new requirements relate to moving towards 
the  energy  neutrality  of  the  sector,  establishing  an 
extended  producer  responsibility  system  to  ensure 
sustainable financing of micropollutant treatment by the 
industries  and  ensuring  access  to 
most  polluting 
sanitation,  especially  for  vulnerable  and  marginalised 
groups. Ireland has until 31 July 2027 to transpose the new 
directive into its national legal system. 

The 2022 EIR for Ireland included priority actions on water 
management. Considering that progress has been limited, 
the following action is suggested. 

2025 priority action 

Source:  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Fribourg-Blanc,  B.,  Dhuygelaere,  N.,  Berland,  J.  and  Imbert,  F.,  12th 
technical  assessment  of  UWWTD  implementation  –  Final  version, 
Publications 
2024, 
the 
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/318637. 

European 

Union, 

Office 

of 

• 

the  necessary  measures 

Take 
full 
implementation  of  the  current  Urban  Wastewater 
Treatment  Directive,  taking  into  account  the  new 
requirements of the recast directive. 

to  ensure 

Despite 
improved  compliance  over  the  years,  the 
incomplete  implementation  of  the  UWWTD  has  led  to 
several 
Ireland. 
infringement  procedures  against 
Currently, the Commission is following up on a judgment 
of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-
427/17 (rendered under Article 258 of the  Treaty on the 
Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  which  covers  28 
agglomerations  in  breach  of  the  directive,  including  the 
two biggest agglomerations: Dublin and Cork) (130). As 16 
of the agglomerations covered by the directive were still 
not  in  compliance  with  the  judgment,  the  Commission 
continued the infringement case against Ireland in 2024. 

In addition, the Commission initiated a new infringement 
case against Ireland due to its failure to comply with the 
standards of the UWWTD in 11 agglomerations (131). 

Chemicals 

The EU seeks to ensure that chemicals are produced and 
used  in  a  way  that  minimises  any  significant  adverse 
effects on human health and the environment. In October 
2020, the Commission published its chemicals strategy for 
sustainability  towards  a  toxic-free  environment (133), 
which  led  to  some  systemic  changes  in  EU  chemicals 
legislation. The strategy is part of the EU’s zero pollution 
ambition –  a  key  commitment  of  the  European  Green 
Deal. 

The  EU’s  chemicals  legislation (134)  provides  a  baseline 
protection for human health and the environment. It also 
ensures  stability  and  predictability 
for  businesses 
operating in the internal market. 

These issues are even more important as the directive has 
been  revised  (132)  in  order  to,  among  other  things, 
strengthen existing treatment standards and establish an 
additional  treatment  of  micropollutants  in  urban  waste 

Since 2007, the Commission has gathered information on 
the  Registration,  Evaluation, 
the  enforcement  of 
Authorisation  and  Restriction  of  Chemicals  (REACH) 
Regulation and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging 

INFR(2013)2056. 
INFR(2023)2178. 

(130) 
(131) 
(132)  Directive (EU) 2024/3019 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  27  November  2024  concerning  urban  wastewater 
treatment (recast). 

(133)  Communication 

to 

from 

the  Commission 

the  European 
Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions –  Chemicals 
strategy  for  sustainability:  Towards  a  toxic-free  environment, 
final  of  14 October  2020,  https://eur-
COM(2020) 667 
lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A667%3AFIN;  Regulation 
(EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of 
substances  and  mixtures,  amending  and  repealing  Directives 
67/548/EEC  and  1999/45/EC,  and  amending  Regulation  (EC) 
p. 1), 
L 353, 
No 1907/2006 

31.12.2008, 

(OJ 

https://publications.europa.eu/resource/cellar/c6b6a31d-8359-
11ee-99ba-01aa75ed71a1.0004.02/DOC_2. 

(134)  Namely,  Regulation 

(EC)  No 1907/2006  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18 December  2006  concerning 
the  registration,  evaluation,  authorisation  and  restriction  of 
chemicals  (REACH),  establishing  a  European  Chemicals  Agency, 
amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as 
well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 
91/155/EEC,  93/67/EEC,  93/105/EC  and  2000/21/EC  (OJ  L 396, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
30/12/2006, 
content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32006R1907; and Regulation (EC) 
No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
16 December  2008  on  classification,  labelling  and  packaging  of 
substances  and  mixtures,  amending  and  repealing  Directives 
67/548/EEC  and  1999/45/EC,  and  amending  Regulation  (EC) 
No 1907/2006 
L 353,  31.12.2008,  p. 1),  https://eur-
(OJ 
lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02008R1272-20221217. 

p. 1), 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
of 

and 

enforcement 

(CLP)  Regulation.  In  December  2020,  the  Commission 
assessed  the  Member  States’  reports (135)  on  the 
implementation 
these 
regulations (136).  It  is  apparent  from  the  Commission’s 
in  the 
report  that  there  are  still  many  disparities 
implementation  of  the  REACH  and  CLP  Regulations, 
notably 
law  enforcement.  Recorded 
compliance levels in Member States, generally quite stable 
over time, appear to be getting slightly worse. This may be 
because  (i)  enforcement  authorities  are  becoming  more 
effective in detecting non-compliant products/companies 
and (ii) more non-compliant products are being placed on 
the EU market. 

in  the  area  of 

In August 2021, the Commission published a measurable 
assessment  of the enforcement (137) of the two main EU 
regulations  on  chemicals  using  a  set  of  indicators  on 
different  aspects  of  enforcement.  Since  2021,  the  list  of 
chemicals  subject  to  restrictions  has  been  expanded  as 
new entries have been added to Annex XVII to the REACH 
Regulation (138). 

In  2023,  new  hazard  classes  were  added  to  the  CLP 
Regulation, and the revision of the regulation was tabled 
(published  on  20 November  2024)  (139).  The  new  hazard 
classes  cover  endocrine  disruptors  and  persistence-
related  hazards  while  the  revision  of  the  regulation 
encompasses  new  rules  on  online  sales  to  better  tackle 
non-compliances  observed  over  the  years.  Also  in  2023, 
the  Conference  of  the  Parties  of  the  Stockholm 
Convention (COP) decided to include, in its Annex A (which 
lists  banned  substances),  three  new  chemicals (140).  The 
Commission  is  working  on  the  delegated  acts  to  include 

(135)  European Commission, Technical assistance to review the existing 
Member  States  reporting  questionnaire  under  Articles 117(1)  of 
REACH and 46(2) of CLP – Final report, Publications Office of the 
European 
2020, 
https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/8ee3c69a-bccb-4f22-89ca-
277e35de7c63/library/a4abce8c-8425-455f-b7e6-
0ead917bde6b/details. 
In 
Article 46(2) of the CLP Regulation. 

line  with  Article 117(1)  of  the  REACH  Regulation  and 

Luxembourg, 

Union, 

(136) 

the 

European 

(137)  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Internal  Market, 
Industry,  Entrepreneurship  and  SMEs,  REACH  and  CLP 
Enforcement: EU-level enforcement indicators, Publications Office 
of 
2021, 
Union, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/e5c3e461-0f85-11ec-9151-01aa75ed71a1/. 
(138)  These are substances in tattoo inks and permanent make-up, N,N-
dimethylformamide, formaldehyde (and formaldehyde releasers), 
lead in PVC (polyvinyl chloride), siloxanes (D4, D5, D6) and, finally, 
microplastics. 

Luxembourg, 

(139)  Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  23  October  2024  amending  Regulation  (EC)  No 
1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances 
and mixtures, OJ L, 2024/2865, 20.11.2024, p.1 (Regulation - EU - 
2024/2865 - EN - EUR-Lex) 

Ireland  35 

these  substances  in  Annex I  to  the  Persistent  Organic 
Pollutants Regulation by 2025 at the latest. 

Responsibility  for  checking  compliance  with  the  REACH 
following 
in 
Regulation 
authorities (141): 

lies  with 

Ireland 

the 

•  Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (also 

responsible for the CLP Regulation), 

•  Health and Safety Authority (also responsible for the 

CLP Regulation), 
the EPA. 

• 

Ireland  has  revised  and  fully  implemented  enforcement 
strategies for both the REACH and CLP Regulations (142). 

The  Member  States’  reporting  exercise  set  out 
in 
Article 117 of the REACH Regulation and Article 46 of the 
CLP Regulation is conducted every five years. The results 
of  the  coming  one  are  expected  in  2025,  hence  the 
absence  of  new  country-specific  data  on  enforcement 
since 2022. 

In  2020,  Ireland  participated 
in  an  EU  coordinated 
enforcement  project  on  products  sold  online,  called  the 
REACH-EN-FORCE  (REF)-8  project (143).  The  report  was 
adopted in November 2021, so it could not be taken into 
account in the previous EIR. 

(140)  These are methoxychlor, dechlorane plus and UV-328. In the case 
of the pesticide methoxychlor, there are no exemptions from the 
ban. However, for the two plastic additives, dechlorane plus and 
UV-328,  the  COP  decision 
lists  some  time-limited  specific 
exemptions. 

(141)  European Commission, Technical assistance to review the existing 
Member  States  reporting  questionnaire  under  Articles 117(1)  of 
REACH and 46(2) of CLP – Final report, Publications Office of the 
European 
p. 69, 
https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/8ee3c69a-bccb-4f22-89ca-
277e35de7c63/library/a4abce8c-8425-455f-b7e6-
0ead917bde6b/details. 

Luxembourg, 

Union, 

2020, 

(142)  European Commission, Technical assistance to review the existing 
Member  States  reporting  questionnaire  under  Articles 117(1)  of 
REACH and 46(2) of CLP – Final report, Publications Office of the 
European 
p. 76, 
https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/8ee3c69a-bccb-4f22-89ca-
277e35de7c63/library/a4abce8c-8425-455f-b7e6-
0ead917bde6b/details. 

Luxembourg, 

Union, 

2020, 

(143)  European Chemicals Agency, REF-8 project report on enforcement 
of the CLP, REACH and BPR duties related to substances, mixtures 
p. 20, 
and 
https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/17088/project_report
_ref-8_en.pdf/ccf2c453-da0e-c185-908e-
3a0343b25802?t=1638885422475. 

Helsinki, 

articles 

online, 

2021, 

sold 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Figure 27: Compliance of imported products – results of 
the REF-8 project (%) 

Ireland  36 

coordinated 
in 
Ireland’s  participation 
enforcement project was above the EU average, which is 
rather low because of the lack of involvement of certain 
large Member States. 

the  REF-8 

In this project and others conducted with the help of the 
European Chemicals Agency in the past few years, online 
sales  have  been  proved  to  correspond  consistently  to 
higher non-compliance rates in checks performed across 
the EU, in particular when related to imported products. 

In  2022,  Ireland  received  a  priority  action  related  to 
upgrading  administrative  capacities  in  implementation 
and  enforcement  to  move  towards  a  policy  of  zero 
tolerance of non-compliance. In the absence of reporting 
since 2022, no progress has been shown and this priority 
action remains valid in 2025. 

2025 priority actions 

A  risk  approach  was  used  for  the  targeting  of  control 
measures in order to maximise the chances of identifying 
non-compliances.  Therefore,  the  non-compliance  rates 
presented above cannot be considered the average non-
compliance  rates  of  products  in  the  EU.  However,  the 
proportion  of  non-compliance  cases  found  in  the  REF-8 
project are of concern. 

• 

• 

Figure 28:  Number  of  REF-8  checks  performed  per 
100 000 inhabitants (EU average = 1.24) 

•  Upgrade 

the 

capacities 

in 
administrative 
implementation and enforcement towards a policy of 
zero tolerance of non-compliance. 
Increase involvement in the activities of the Forum for 
Exchange  of  Information  on  Enforcement  of  the 
European  Chemicals  Agency, 
the 
in 
coordinated enforcement projects, called REFs. 
Increase  customs  controls  and  controls  of  products 
sold online with regard to compliance with chemicals 
legislations. 

including 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
Ireland  37 

4. Climate action

Forestry (145). The package has been fully adopted, and the 
Member States have been implementing the legislation. 

The key strategic document at country level is the National 
Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) (146). Ireland submitted its 
updated  plan  in July  2024  after  the  deadline  set  by  the 
Regulation  on  the  Governance  of  the  Energy  Union  and 
Climate  Action  (147).  The  European  Commission  assessed 
the plan and the extent to which Ireland has followed the 
recommendations for the draft version. The findings from 
the assessment are: 

• 

• 

• 

Emissions  under  the  Effort  Sharing  Regulation  will 
decrease  by  25%  in  2030  compared  to  2005,  and 
Ireland will have to use additional policies to meet its 
target of 42%. 
The  latest  projections  show  a  gap  to  the  Land  Use, 
Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)   Regulation 
target, meaning that current levels of removals have 
been insufficient.  
Ireland  is  in  line  with  its  target  for  the  share  of 
renewable energy and targets for energy efficiency. 

To minimise the impacts of climate policies on vulnerable 
people  and  sectors,  Ireland  is  using  the  Just  Transition 
Fund and will use Social Climate Fund from 2026 (for more 
information, see Chapter 5 on Finance). 

Figure 29: Total GHG  emissions (excluding international 
aviation) (%), 1990–2022 

The impacts of climate change have continued to increase 
in recent years, inflicting damage and suffering in the EU 
and around the world. Globally, 2023 was the hottest year 
on  record,  while  Europe  has  been  warming  twice  as 
quickly  as  the  global  average,  and  is  now  the  fastest-
warming  continent.  The  frequency  and  severity  of 
extreme  climate  events  are  also  increasing.  Against  this 
backdrop, the EU has demonstrated its determination to 
implement  the  European  Green  Deal  and  to  become 
climate neutral and resilient by 2050, ensuring sustainable 
competitiveness  and  supporting  EU  industry  in  the  net-
zero  transition.  The  European  Climate  Law  is  the  EU’s 
response  to  the  need  for  action.  It  sets  the  objective  of 
achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and a midterm target 
of a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 55 % by 2030, 
and outlines the adaptation efforts necessary to adjust to 
climate  change’s  present  and  future  impacts.  Almost  all 
the  ‘Fit  for  55’  proposals  set  out  in  the  European  Green 
Deal  have  been  agreed 
law,  and  the  European 
in 
Commission  recommended  a  new  intermediate  climate 
target of a 90 % reduction in emissions by 2040. In 2024, 
the  Member  States  submitted  updated  national  energy 
and climate plans for 2021–2030, reflecting the increased 
ambition  of  the  revised  EU  legislation.  In  2024,  the 
European Commission also released, jointly with the EEA, 
the first-ever European climate risk assessment. 

its  Member  States  need 

Over  the  last  three  decades,  since  1990,  the  EU  has 
achieved  steady  decreases  in  its  emissions,  reaching  a 
running  total  in  2022  of – 32.5 % (144).  However,  the  EU 
and 
their 
implementation  efforts  and  accelerate  emissions 
reduction to stay on track to reach their targets of a 55 % 
reduction  in  net  GHG  emissions  by  2030  and  climate 
neutrality  by  2050.  Between  1990  and  2022,  net  GHG 
emissions of Ireland increased by 7%, making it one of the 
countries with a net increase. 

to  step  up 

The  ‘Fit  for  55’  legislative  package  reflects  the  need  to 
speed up the green transition. It includes (i) strengthening 
and expanding the EU emissions trading system (ETS), with 
the  creation  of  a  new,  second,  ETS  for  transport  and 
buildings together with a dedicated Social Climate Fund to 
help  citizens  during  the  transition;  (ii)  increasing  targets 
under  the  effort  sharing  regulation;  and  (iii)  a  revised 
for  Land  Use,  Land  Use  Change  and 
regulation 

(144)  EU  net  domestic  emissions,  including  the  land  use,  land-use 
change and forestry (LULUCF) sector and excluding international 
aviation. 

(146)  More information about NECP is on the dedicated website 

https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-strategy/national-
energy-and-climate-plans-necps_en. 

(145)  A full overview of the Fit for 55 package is available at 

(147)   Article  14  of  regulation  2018/1999  on  the  Governance  of  the 

https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-
2019-2024/european-green-deal/delivering-european-green-
deal/fit-55-delivering-proposals_en. 

Energy Union and Climate Action. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The EU emissions trading system 

to  hold  a  permit  to  carry  out  activities  under  ETS2  will 
commence on 1 January 2025. 

Ireland  38 

The  EU  ETS  is  the  key  tool  for  reducing  GHG  emissions 
cost-effectively across all Member States. It is the world’s 
biggest carbon market, covering around  40% of the EU’s 
total GHG emissions from electricity and heat generation, 
the  manufacturing  industry,  aviation  within  Europe (148) 
and, from 2024, maritime transport also. 

The system sets a limit or cap on the total amount of GHGs 
that  can  be  emitted  at  the  EU  level.  Within  this  limit, 
companies buy emissions allowances (one allowance gives 
the right to emit 1 t of CO2 eq (carbon dioxide equivalent)), 
in auctions or through trading allowances with others. The 
cap is reduced annually to ensure that overall emissions in 
the sectors covered decrease over time. 

The emissions under the ETS increased by 3% from 2005 
to 2023. 

In  2023,  56 %  of  emissions  from  ETS  installations  came 
from  power  generation,  with  another  23 %  originating 
from  cement  and  lime  production.  Total  ETS  emissions 
were 14 % lower in 2023 than in 2019. At the same time, 
GHG  emissions  in  industry  sectors  (cement  and  lime, 
refineries, and other industries) declined by 10 %. Looking 
in  power  generation 
back  to  2013,  GHG  emissions 
declined  by  37 %  but  increased  in  the  industry  sectors, 
driven by a 36 % increase for cement and lime production. 

2024, 

25 January 

the  Commission  opened 
On 
infringement  procedures  against  Ireland  for  its  failure  to 
fully transpose previous revisions of ETS directive (149) into 
national law. Ireland has since notified full transpositions 
of the abovementioned directives to the Commission. 

From 2027, a new emissions trading system, called ETS2, 
for  buildings,  road  transport  and  additional  sectors 
(mainly  industry  not  covered  by  the  current  ETS)  will 
become  fully  operational (150).  Member  States  should 
have  notified  full  transposition  the  provisions  of  the 
revised  EU  ETS  directive  related  to  the  new  ETS2  into 
national law by 30 June 2024. 

Ireland  did  not  communicate  full  transposition 
into 
national law by this deadline.  For this reason, on 25 July 
2024, the Commission opened an infringement procedure 
against Ireland. 

Ireland  has  since  notified  transposition  of  the  relevant 
provisions of the ETS 2 Directive to the Commission. The 
monitoring and reporting requirements and the obligation 

Effort sharing 

from  domestic  transport 

The  Effort  Sharing  Regulation (ESR) (151)  covers  GHG 
emissions 
(excluding  CO₂ 
emissions  from  aviation),  buildings,  agriculture,  small 
industry and waste. Emissions from these sectors account 
for  around  60 %  of  the  EU’s  domestic  emissions.  The 
regulation  sets  the  EU-wide  target  to  reduce  emissions 
from the effort sharing sectors by 40 % by 2030 compared 
to 2005 levels. This overall target for the EU translates to 
binding  national  emission  reduction  targets  for  each 
Member State. Ireland‘s target is – 42%. 

In  addition  to  the  2030  targets,  Member  States  have 
annual GHG emissions limits (annual emission allocations), 
reducing every year until 2030. 

There  is  some  flexibility  to  take  account  of  annual 
in  emissions,  by  trading  emissions  and 
fluctuations 
transfers from the ETS and LULUCF. 

Based  on  historical  emissions  and  the  most  updated 
projections Ireland will need to implement new measures 
and/or  use  available  flexibilities  to  achieve  its  2030  ESR 
target. Projected gap is 16.6 percentage points to the 2030 
target. 

The largest contributor is agriculture, which accounted for 
49% of all effort sharing emissions in 2022. Ireland has set 
a target for the agricultural sector to reduce emissions by 
25 % by 2030, compared with 2018 levels. There is scope 
to  increase  the  share  of  more  sustainable  agricultural 
practices.  The  rate  of  adoption  of  organic  farming 
practices  remains  low,  yet  Ireland’s  2023–2027  CAP  SP 
aims  to  increase  the  area  of  agricultural  land  farmed 
organically from 2 % to 7.5 %. 

Transport accounted for 26 % of effort sharing emissions. 
Road  transport  is  by  far  the  main  form  of  transport  in 
Ireland and is slowly shifting to sustainable forms. At 1.5 % 
in 2022, the share of battery electric vehicles in Ireland’s 
car  passenger  fleet  is  above  the  EU  average  (1.2 %). 
However,  it  has  only  about  2  680  publicly  accessible 
charging  points,  or  one  for  every  23  vehicles,  far  fewer 
than the EU average of 1:10. With passenger cars used for 
86 % of distances travelled, Ireland is in line with the EU 
average. Its low share of rail transport, 2 %, is offset by the 
use  of  buses  and  coaches,  used  for  13 %  of  distances 

(148)  Flights between the EU Member States including departing flights 
to Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 

(150)  Directive (EU) 2023/959 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2023.130.01.0134.01.ENG). 

(149)  Directive 

(EU) 

2023/959 

content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023L0959)  and  Directive 
2023/958 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023L0958). 

(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
(EU) 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

(151)  Regulation (EU) 2018/842 (https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/842). 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Ireland  39 

Ireland‘s  target  in  2030  is  to  enhance  land  removals  by 
additional  – 0.6  Mt  of  CO2  equivalent  compared  to  the 
yearly  average  of  the  period  2016–2018.  The  latest 
available projections show a gap to the 2030 target of 1.4 
Mt  of  CO2  equivalent.  Therefore,  Ireland  needs  to  apply 
additional measures to reach its 2030 target. 

Adaptation to climate change 

Halting all GHG emissions would still not prevent climate 
impacts that are already occurring. Therefore, adaptation 
to  climate  change  is  also  a  key  component  of  climate 
policy. 

Ireland  has  one  out  of  three  regions  identified  as  a 
hotspots  of  climate  risks  most  affected  by  climate 
change – low-lying coastal regions (152). 

Ireland identifies the most immediate risks such as floods, 
droughts  and  storms.  Ireland’s  climate  protection  gap  is 
low,  indicating  a  good  share  of  insurance  coverage, 
including  insurance  against  floods  and  coastal  floods. 
Ireland’s  Climate  Change  Advisory  Council  has 
nevertheless warned that human and financial resources 
for  adaptation  are  inadequate  and  there  is  a  lack  of 
information on the costs of and investment requirements 
for  adaptation.  It  also  indicates  that  measures  to  build 
resilience are still small-scale, reactive and incremental. 

Ireland  adopted  its  climate  adaptation  law  in  2014  and 
updated it in 2021. It also has national adaptation strategy 
as well as national, sectoral and regional adaptation plans. 
In June 2024 Ireland published new National Adaptation 
Framework. 

Ireland  received  six  priority  actions  regarding  climate 
action in the 2022 EIR. Progress in the uptake of renewable 
energy is still limited and the overall share of renewable 
energy is the lowest in the EU. Transport is decarbonising 
slowly.  Freight  transport  remains  dependant  on  road 
transport.  There  is  still  no  progress  in  improving  energy 
efficiency of buildings and final energy  consumption has 
increased  since  2015.  There  is  some  progress  in  the 
process  of  Ireland’s  grid  modernisation.  Completing  the 
Ireland-France  Celtic  Interconnector  Project  of  Common 
Interest will restore Ireland’s connection to the EU post-
UK  withdrawal,  strengthening  security  of  supply  and 
renewable integration. New projects are also ongoing to 
strengthen 
including 
interconnection  with  the  UK, 
Northern  Ireland.  There  is  some  progress  in  reducing 
emissions in agriculture. Total emissions from agriculture 
decreased by 1 % from 2021 to 2022 but are  way above 
2005 level. N2O emissions from agriculture decreased by 
8 %  from  2021  to  2022.  Dominant  CH4  emissions, 

travelled.  Freight  is  transported  almost  entirely  by  road, 
with negligible use of other modes. 

Buildings  accounted  for  18 %  of  effort  sharing  emissions 
and remain a concern for Ireland. Ireland’s efforts in the 
residential sector still fall short of the trajectory to its 2030 
reduction target for energy consumption by buildings. The 
final  energy  consumption  of  the  residential  sector  in 
Ireland  decreased  from  2021  to  2022,  but  increased  by 
7.4 %  from  2015  to  2022.  On  the  other  hand,  total 
emissions  from  buildings  have  decreased  by  28 %  since 
2005.  The  share  of  renewables  in  heating  and  cooling 
remains very low (6.3 % in 2022) compared to EU average 
(24.9 %). 

Figure 30: Effort-sharing emissions by sector (%), 2022 

Land use, land-use change and forestry 

The  Land  Use,  Land-Use  Change  and  Forestry  (LULUCF) 
sector plays a significant role in achieving the EU’s climate 
neutrality goal. In the EU, this sector absorbs more GHGs 
than it emits, removing significant volumes of carbon from 
the atmosphere. Thus, it is the only sector with negative 
emissions. 

That  is  not  the  case  in  Ireland.  Ireland  has  never  had 
negative emissions since the start of the inventory data in 
1990. Ireland has a relatively small forested area (some of 
which  has  been  insensitively  planted  on  peatland  soils) 
and  high  emissions  from  grasslands  on  organic  soils. 
Ireland is working to safeguard and restore peatlands and 
improve soil management. 

(152)  European  Climate  Risk  Assessment  (EUCRA).  2024.  Available  at 

https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/eu-adaptation-
policy/key-eu-actions/european-climate-risk-assessment. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Ireland  40 

accounting  for  73 %  of  total  agricultural  emissions,  have 
been increasing since 2019. Since, 2022, Ireland has taken 
steps to introduce a biomass certification process, to bring 
the  use  of  biomass  fuels  in  line  with  the  sustainability 
criteria (153).  Any  support  schemes  or  renewable  energy 
obligations  using  biomass,  such  as  the  new  Support 
Scheme  for  Renewable  Heat,  are  designed  in  line  with 
these sustainability criteria. 

2025 priority actions 

• 

Implement all polices and measures that are needed 
to  achieve  targets  laid  down  in  the  Effort  Sharing 
Regulation  (ESR)  and  the  Land  Use  and  Land-Use 
Change  and  Forestry  (LULUCF)  Regulation.  More 
detailed priority actions are set out in the assessment 
of the final National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) 
(154). 

(153)  Criteria  are  set  out 

in  Directive  2018/2001,  https://eur-

(154)  National energy and climate plans. 

lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2018.328.01.0082.01.ENG. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
Part II: Enabling framework – implementation tools

5. Financing

Ireland  41 

The EU budget supports climate investment in Ireland with 
significant amounts in 2021–2027, with revenues from the 
ETS  also  feeding  into  the  national  budget.  During  2020–
from  auctioning  reached 
2022, 
EUR 489 million in total, with all of it spent on climate and 
energy. 

Ireland’s  revenues 

In  addition,  the  annual  investment  needed  to  meet  its 
environmental  objectives 
in  the  areas  of  pollution 
prevention and control, the circular economy and waste, 
water protection and management, and biodiversity and 
ecosystems is estimated to be EUR 7.3 billion per year in 
Ireland. 

These  four  environmental  areas  currently  receive  total 
funding of around EUR 3.9 billion per year; thus, there is a 
gap of EUR 3.3 billion per year. 

the 

environmental 

Of 
almost 
EUR 1 billion concerns the water objective, EUR 0.8 billion 
pollution  prevention  and  control  and  circular  economy 
(each) and EUR 0.7 billion biodiversity and ecosystems. 

investment 

gap, 

Climate finance landmarks 

EU funding for climate action 

The EU budget supports climate action in the EU-27 with 
EUR 657.8 billion  in  the  2021–2027  budgetary  period 
across  the  various  programmes  and  funds,  representing 
an  overall  34.3 %  contribution  level.  Of  this,  cohesion 
policy provides EUR 120 billion (over half of it through the 
European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF)),  the 
recovery and resilience facility (RRF) EUR 275.7 billion and 
CAP EUR 145.9 billion (155). 

In  Ireland,  the  EU  cohesion  policy  (considering  the  EU 
contribution  amount)  provides  EUR 212 million 
for 
climate  action  in  2021–2027  (with  41 %  of  this  via  the 
ERDF),  with  a  further  EUR 78 million  from  the  European 
Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) (156). 

The  RRF  contributes  to  climate  finance  in  Ireland  with 
EUR 0.4 billion  up  to  2026,  representing  42 %  of  the 
recovery and resilience plan (RRP) (157). 

(EIB)  provided 
Investment  Bank 
The  European 
EUR 109.9 billion  financing  across  the  EU-27  between 
2021  and  mid  2024  to  support  energy,  transport  and 
industry  projects  that  are  aligned  with  the  EU’s  climate 
objectives. Of this amount, EUR 1.3 billion was assigned to 
Ireland in the reference period (158). 

National  financing, 
system revenues 

including  EU  emissions  trading 

to  EUR 125 million 

Revenues  from  the  auctioning  of  emission  allowances 
under  the  EU  ETS,  which  feed  directly  into  national 
in  2020, 
budgets,  amounted 
EUR 149 million  in  2021  and  EUR 216 million  in  2022  in 
Ireland, totalling almost EUR 490 million in the three-year 
period.  In  Ireland,  while  ETS  auction  revenues  are  not 
earmarked  for  specific  purposes,  the  amount  spent  is 
equivalent  to  100 %  of  these  revenues  (lower  ETS 
administration  costs  for  the  EPA)  and  is  attributed  to 
emission  reduction  activities  in  line  with  the  purposes 
specified in the ETS Directive. 

From the remaining part of the EU ETS revenues that feed 
into  the  Innovation  Fund  and  the  Modernisation  Fund, 
further  support  is  available  to  climate  action  at  the  EU 
level (159). 

the  environment 

It should be noted that investment in climate action also 
supports 
the 
environmental  investments  described  in  the  following 
sections  cannot  be  regarded  as  entirely  additional  to 
climate investment (160). 

therefore, 

and, 

Environmental financing and investments 

This section describes Ireland’s investment needs, current 
financing  and  gaps  as 
four 
environmental  objectives  beyond  climate  objectives, 
namely  tackling  pollution,  the  circular  economy  and 

relate 

they 

the 

to 

(155)  European  Commission,  Statement  of  Estimates  of  the  European 
Commission –  For  the  financial  year  2025,  Publications  Office  of 
pp. 94–96, 
the 
https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/7a0420e1-
599e-4246-9131-ccb7d505d6d9_en?filename=DB2025-
Statement-of-Estimates_1.pdf. 

European  Union, 

Luxembourg, 

2024, 

(156)  See 

the 

Cohesion 

Open 

Data 

Platform 

(https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/). 

(157)  EU  Commission  datasets  and  the  Recovery  and  Resilience 
(https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/recovery-

Scoreboard 
and-resilience-scoreboard/index.html). 

(158)  A 

list  of 

financed  projects 

is  provided  by 

the  EIB 

(https://www.eib.org/en/projects/loans/index.htm). 

(159)  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Climate  Action, 
Progress Report 2023 – Climate action, Publications Office of the 
European 
2023, 
https://climate.ec.europa.eu/news-your-voice/news/climate-
action-progress-report-2023-2023-10-24_en. 

Luxembourg, 

Union, 

(160)  NB:  Indirect  investments  (from  climate  and  other  policies)  in 

support of the environment are accounted for via the tracking. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
 Ireland  42 

waste,  water  protection  and  management,  and 
biodiversity and ecosystems (161). 

The environment overall 

Investment needs 

The  overall  environmental 
investment  needs  to  be 
sufficient  to  enable  Ireland  to  meet  its  objectives  in  the 
areas  of  pollution  prevention  and  control,  the  circular 
economy and waste, water protection and management, 
and biodiversity and ecosystems. The required investment 
is estimated to be EUR 7.3 billion per year (in 2022 prices). 

A  significant  part  of  the  estimated  requirement,  around 
EUR 3.4 billion per year, can be attributed to the need to 
support  the  circular  economy.  For  pollution  prevention 
and control, the annual investment needs are estimated 
to  be  EUR 1.1 billion;  for  water,  they  are  EUR 1.7 billion 
and  for  biodiversity  and  ecosystems  EUR 1.1 billion  (in 
2022 prices). 

Current investments 

To implement the environmental investments needed, the 
available  financing  is  estimated  to  currently  reach  an 
annual  EUR 3.9 billion  in  Ireland  from  EU  and  national 
sources combined (in 2022 prices). 

Total  environmental  funding  from  the  multiannual 
financial  framework  (MFF)  is  estimated  to  reach  around 
EUR 2.5 billion for  Ireland in total, during 2021–2027 (or 
EUR 352.7 million per year). 

Table 1: Key environmental allocations from EU funds to 
Ireland (million EUR), 2021–2027 

Instrument 

Cohesion policy 
ERDF 
Cohesion Fund 
Just Transition Fund 

CAP 
European Agricultural Guarantee Fund 
European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural 
Development 

EMFAF 

Other MFF 

RRF (d) (2021–2026) 

Allocations 

89.2 (a) 
47.5 
0.0 
41.7 
1 894.6 (b) 
1 255.2 
639.4 

42.9 

442.2 (c) 

 259 

(a) 

European  Commission,  2021-2027  cohesion  policy  (planned) 
allocations  in  EU  amount  excluding  national  co-financing,  based 
on the tracking in the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR, 2021) 
Annex I. Please note potential data changes that may have arisen 

(161)  Research,  development  and  innovation  is  accounted  for  under 
each environmental objective. The financing needs, baselines and 
gaps  estimates  are  based  on  the  Directorate-General  for 
Environment’s 
internal  analysis  (of  202 ).  Throughout  this 
chapter,  specific  references are  provided to  the  most  important 
data sources used. 

between the EIR preparation cut-off date (31 October 2024) and 
its  publication  date.  Note  that  Ireland  is  not  eligible  for  the 
Cohesion 
information: 
and 
https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/2021-2027-
Categorisation/2021-2027-Planned-finances-detailed-
categorisation/hgyj-gyin/about_data  

further 

Source 

Fund. 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  of  2 December  2021  establishing  rules  on  support  for 
strategic  plans  to  be  drawn  up  by  Member  States  under  the 
common agricultural policy (CAP strategic plans) and financed by 
the  European  Agricultural  Guarantee  Fund  (EAGF)  and  by  the 
European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  and 
repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013 
(OJ 
https://eur-
p. 1), 
lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2115. 

6.12.2021, 

Annex XI, 

L 435 

Note that 2021-2027 combines factual data for 2021 and 2022 and 
expenditure  under  the  relevant  specific  objectives  (SOs)  of  the 
CAP strategic plans from 2023, using the EU biodiversity tracking 
methodology  (https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2023-
06/Biodiversity%20tracking%20methodology%20for%20each%20
programme%202023.pdf). Source: European Commission.  

Space  Fund,  Horizon  Europe,  LIFE  and  the  Connecting  Europe 
Facility. 

Outside  the  MFF.  Note  that  the  RRF  applies  a  similar 
environmental tracking scheme (set in the RRF Regulation, Annex 
V )  as  the  EU’s  cohesion  policy.  RRF  dataset  version  used:  July 
2024, prior to 2025 revisions. Data source: European Commission. 

Ireland,  in  addition  to  receiving  EU  funds  earmarked 
specifically  for  it  in  2021–2027,  can  also  benefit  from 
funding programmes that can be accessed at the EU level 
and which are open to all Member States. These include 
the LIFE programme (EUR 5.4 billion) (162), Horizon Europe 
(EUR 95.5 billion) (163),  the  Connecting  Europe  Facility 

(162)  https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en. 
(163)  European  Commission,  Horizon  Europe,  https://research-and-
innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-
programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 Ireland  43 

The gap 

To meet its four environmental objectives beyond climate 
change, the additional investment need over the current 
levels  (i.e.  the  gap)  reaches  an  estimated  EUR 3.3 billion 
per  year  in  Ireland,  representing  around  0.66 %  of  the 
national GDP, being lower than the EU average (0.77 %). 

Figure 31: Environmental financing, needs and gaps  per 
Member State (% of GDP) 

(EUR 33.7 billion) (164)  and  funds  that  can  mobilised 
through the InvestEU programme (165). 

Ireland’s RRP supports climate objectives through funding 
of  EUR 0.38 billion  (42 %  of  total),  with  an  additional 
EUR 0.08 billion (9.3 % of total) for the environment. 

EIB  provided 

EUR 490.4 million 

The 
in 
around 
environment-related  financial  contributions  to  Ireland 
from 2021 to mid 2024, most of which, EUR 484.8 million 
(99 %),  was  in  the  area  of  sustainable  energy,  transport 
and  industrial  projects,  which  provides  significant  co-
benefits  to  reducing  air  pollution,  environmental  noise 
and other pollution. 

The  EU’s  total  national  expenditure  on  environmental 
protection  (operating  plus  capital  expenditure)  was 
EUR 298 billion  in  2020  and  EUR 321 billion  in  2021, 
representing around 2.2 % of EU-27  GDP. In  Ireland, the 
total national environmental protection expenditure was 
EUR 3.4 billion 
in  2021, 
representing 0.9 % of GDP. 

in  2020  and  EUR 3.8 billion 

Of  the  total  environmental  expenditure,  the  national 
capital  expenditure 
(investment)  on  environmental 
protection  amounted  to  EUR 54.5 billion  in  2020  and 
EUR 59.9 billion in 2021 in the EU-27, representing around 
Ireland,  the  national 
0.4 %  of  the  EU’s  GDP. 
environmental 
reached 
investment 
protection 
EUR 783 million in 2020, rising to EUR 818 million in 2021, 
representing around 0.2 % of GDP. 

In 

Splitting by institutional sector, around  70 % of  Ireland’s 
national  environmental  protection  investment  (capital 
expenditure) comes from the general government budget, 
with 8 % coming from specialist private-sector producers 
(of environmental protection services, such as waste and 
water  companies)  and  23 %  from  the  general  business 
sector,  whose  environmental  activities  are  usually 
ancillary to its main activities. At the EU level, around 38 % 
of  environmental  protection  investment  comes  from 
governments,  40 % 
specialist  private-sector 
producers and 22 % from the business sector (166). 

from 

Ireland’s  total  financing  for  environmental  investment 
reaches  an  estimated  EUR 3.9 billion  per  year  (in  2022 
prices),  including  EU  funding  and  national  public  and 
national private expenditure. Of the total, the share of EU 
fund (including EIB funds) reaches 11 %, with around 89 % 
national  financing.  The  total  public  financing  (EU  plus 
national public) represents 73 % of the total. 

Source: Analysis of Directorate-General for Environment. 

The following table provides the distributions of Ireland’s 
environmental  investment  gap  (expressed  in  various 
forms) by environmental objective. 

Table 2: Summary of environmental investment gaps in 
Ireland per year, 2021–2027 

Environmental 
objective 

Investment gap per year  

Million EUR  
(2022 
prices) 

%  
of 
total 

%  
of GDP 

Pollution prevention 
and control 

Circular economy and 
waste 

Water management 
and water industries 

847 

 25.5 

0.17 

827 

 24.9 

0.16 

 954 

28.7 

0.19 

(164)  The  Connecting  Europe  Facility  Transport  part  also  includes 
EUR 11.3 billion  transferred  from  the  Cohesion  Fund,  of  which 
30 % will be made available, on a competitive basis, to all Member 
States  eligible  for  the  Cohesion  Fund.  The  remaining  70 %  will 
respect the national envelopes until 31 December 2023. 

(165)  The  InvestEU  Fund  is  set  to  mobilise  over  EUR 372 billion  of 
investment through an EU budget guarantee of EUR 26.2 billion to 
back  the  investment  of  financial  partners such as  the  EIB  group 
and others. 

(166)  Eurostat, 

‘Environmental  protection  expenditure  accounts’, 

env_ac_epea. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Biodiversity and 
ecosystems 

699 

21.0 

0.14 

Total 

3 327 

100.0 

0.66 

Source: Directorate-General for Environment analysis. 

Pollution prevention and control 

Investment needs 

In pollution prevention and control,  Ireland’s investment 
needs are estimated to reach EUR 1.1 billion per year (in 
2022  prices)  (including  baseline  investments)  in  2021–
2027. Most of this, EUR 0.8 billion, relates to air pollution 
control, to comply with the clean air requirements for the 
five  main  air  pollutants  under  the  NECD  by  2030.  The 
estimated  needs  to  reduce  environmental  noise  reach 
EUR 760 million per year, most of which is delivered by the 
(same) sustainable energy and transport investments that 
also  benefit  clean  air (167).  Industrial  site  remediation 
requires  an  estimated  EUR 92 million  per 
year. 
Microplastics pollution and the chemicals strategy require 
around EUR 50–70 million per year (each) (168). 

Current investments 

reach 

control 

investment 
and 

levels  supporting  pollution 
The  current 
prevention 
estimated 
an 
EUR 212 million  per  year  (in  2022  prices)  in  Ireland  in 
2021–2027.  Most  of  the  financing  concerns  clean  air 
from 
(EUR 141 million 
environmental  noise  receives  around  EUR 9 million  per 
year, with a further EUR 4 million for site remediation. 

Protection 

year). 

per 

In Ireland, the EU MFF provides an estimated 17.3 % of the 
clean  air  financing  (mostly  via  cohesion  policy),  with  a 
further 7 % from the RRF, adding up to 24.3 % of the total. 
EIB financing contributes 31 % and national sources reach 
44.7 % (169) . 

(167)  2021 

assessment 

Phenomena 

project 
(https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/f4cd7465-a95d-11eb-9585-01aa75ed71a1)  and  the 
Directive 
Commission’s 
implementation 
report 
(https://environment.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-
03/COM_2023_139_1_EN_ACT_part1_v3.pdf). 

Environmental 

Noise 

202  

(168)  European  Commission,  Third  Clean  Air  Outlook,  Brussels,  2022, 

https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/air/clean-air-
outlook_en. See also the impact assessment for the revision of the 
AAQD, available from the Commission web page on the proposed 
revision 
(https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/revision-eu-
ambient-air-quality-legislation_en). 

(169)  Through  the  tracking  of  EU  funds,  EIB  projects  and  national 
expenditure (EPEA accounts, Eurostat). Note that the bulk of clean 
air  financing  is  provided  as  a  contribution  from  climate  (energy 
and  transport)  measures,  as  per  the  tracking  schemes  in  the 
Common  Provisions  Regulation  Annex  I  and  the  RRF  Regulation 
Annex  VI.  Further 
tracking: 
https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/0a80484e-

information  on  clean  air 

 Ireland  44 

The gap 

To meet its environmental objectives concerning pollution 
prevention  and  control  (towards  zero  pollution),  Ireland 
needs  to  provide  an  additional  EUR 847 million  per  year 
(0.17 % of GDP), mostly related to clean air and noise. The 
adequate 
the 
investments included for sustainable energy and transport 
would largely deliver this, while in many Member States 
additional measures and investments may be required to 
comply with the ammonia reduction requirements. 

implementation  of 

the  NECP  with 

According to the latest (2023) NAPCP review report (170), 
Ireland  did  not  comply  with  ammonia  reduction 
requirements in 2020 and 2021, and it is at some risk of 
non-compliance  with  ammonia  concerning  the  NECD’s 
2030  emission  reduction  commitments,  based  on  the 
policies and measures in its NAPCP that take into account 
climate, energy and CAP plans and financing baselines. 

Circular economy and waste 

Investment needs 

Ireland’s investment needs in circular economy and waste 
reach an EUR 3.4 billion per year (in 2022 prices) (including 
baseline investments). Most of this, around EUR 3.3 billion 
per  year,  relates  to  circular  economy  measures  in  the 
mobility,  food  and  built  environment  systems,  with  a 
further EUR 165 million necessary for waste management 
(municipal  and  packaging  waste),  covering  waste 
collection,  biowaste  treatment,  recycling  reprocessors, 
waste-sorting  facilities,  and  digitalisation  of  the  waste 
registry. The amount for waste excludes the investments 
needed for the uptake of circularity and waste prevention 
across the economy (171). 

Current investments 

Circular economy investments across the economy reach 
around EUR 2.53 billion per year (in 2022 prices) in Ireland 

2409-4749-94c6-
3b23bc6bae8f_en?filename=Clean%20air%20methodology_0.pdf  
(170)  European Commission, ‘National air pollution control programmes 
and  projections’,  European  Commission  website,  accessed 
3 February 
2025, 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/air/reducing-
emissions-air-pollutants/national-air-pollution-control-
programmes-and-projections_en.  NB:  The  referenced  EU-wide 
assessment of the Commission (2023) may assess certain national 
projections by 2030 (and the factors behind them) as risk prone 
despite  the  projections  showing  compliance.   reland’s  NAPCP 
shows a 5–6 % reduction in ammonia in 2030 compared with 2005 
levels, depending on the scenario. 

(171)  See Systemiq and Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Achieving ‘Growth 
Within’, 2017; and European Commission: Directorate-General for 
Environment, Study on investment needs in the waste sector and 
on  the  financing  of  municipal  waste  management  in  Member 
States,  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg, 
2019, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/4d5f8355-bcad-11e9-9d01-01aa75ed71a1. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
in 2021–2027, with a further EUR 87 million provided for 
waste  management  that  does  not  constitute  circular 
economy. 

Around 0.2 % of this combined financing for circularity and 
waste comes from the EU MFF, with a further 0.1 % from 
the RRF, adding up to 0.3 % of the total. EIB loans did not 
support  circularity  and  waste  during  2021–2024.  The 
share  of  national  sources  is  absolutely  overwhelming, 
reaching 99.6 % of the total financing (172). 

The gap 

To  meet  its  environmental  objectives  concerning  the 
circular  economy  and  waste,  Ireland  needs  to  increase 
investments  by  an  estimated 
circular  economy 
EUR 749 million 
additional 
EUR 78 million concerning waste management action, not 
belonging to circular economy. Combined, this amounts to 
EUR 827 million per year, representing 0.16 % of Ireland’s 
GDP. 

year,  with 

per 

an 

Of  the  circular  economy  gap,  EUR 196 million  relates  to 
recent  initiatives,  such  as  the  eco-design  for  sustainable 
products,  packaging  and  packaging  waste,  labelling  and 
digital  tools,  CRM  recycling,  and  measures  proposed 
under the amendment of the Waste Framework Directive, 
and EUR 553 million constitutes further investment need 
to unlock Ireland’s circular economy potential. 

 Ireland  45 

Current investments 

Water investments in Ireland are estimated to be around 
EUR 696 million per year (in 2022 prices) in 2021–2027. Of 
this,  EUR 482 million supports wastewater  management, 
EUR 205 million drinking water and around EUR 5 million 
the  other  aspects  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive 
(water management and protection). 

Of  the  total  financing,  0.8 %  is  provided  by  the  EU  MFF 
(mostly through cohesion policy), with further 0.4% in the 
RRF  (174)  through  the  upgrade  of  wastewater  treatment 
plants and some additional contribution from biodiversity 
measures  (rehabilitation  of  peatlands).  Most  of  the 
financing comes from national sources (over 98 %) (175). 

The gap 

To  meet  the  various  environmental  targets  under  the 
Water  Framework  Directive  and  the  Floods  Directive, 
Ireland’s  water  investment  gap  reaches  EUR 954 million 
per  year  (0.19 %  of  GDP),  with  around  one  third  of  it 
related  to  waste  water  (EUR 323 million  per  year). 
Drinking  water  measures 
require  an  additional 
EUR 51 million  per  year  and  the  other  aspects  of  the 
Water  Framework  Directive  around  EUR 577 million  per 
year over the existing levels of financing. 

Biodiversity and ecosystems 

Water protection and management 

Investment needs 

Investment needs 

The  annual  water  investment  needs  reach  an  estimated 
EUR 1.7 billion (in 2022 prices) in Ireland. This comprises 
investment needs both for the water industry and for the 
protection and the management of water. The largest part 
of  the  total  annual  need,  EUR 805 million,  relates  to  the 
management  of  waste  water  (including  additional  costs 
associated  with 
further 
EUR 256 million  is  necessary  for  drinking-water-related 
investments  and  around  EUR 582 million 
the 
protection and management of water (173). 

revised  UWWTD).  A 

the 

for 

(172)  Waste management and circular economy expenditure tracking in 
the  EU  funds,  EIB  projects  and  in  the  national  expenditure 
(Eurostat).  Datasets:  EPEA  accounts  (env_epi)  and  circular 
economy private investments (cei_cie012). 

(173)  See  European  Commission,  ‘Estimating  investment  needs  and 
financing capacities for water-related investment in EU Member 
2020, 
28 May 
States’, 
https://commission.europa.eu/news/estimating-investment-
needs-and-financing-capacities-water-related-investment-eu-
member-states-2020-05-28_en;  and  OECD  (Organisation  for 
Economic  Co-operation  and  Development),  Financing  Water 
Supply, Sanitation and flood Protection: Challenges in EU Member 
States  and  policy  options,  OECD  Publishing,  Paris,  2020, 
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/financing-water-
supply-sanitation-and-flood-protection_6893cdac-en. 

The investment needs for biodiversity and ecosystems are 
estimated to be EUR 1.1 billion per year (in 2022 prices) in 
Ireland in 2021–2027. This includes the following financing 
needs: 

• 

• 

Ireland’s PAF (176) concerning the Natura 2000 areas: 
EUR 162 million per year, mostly running costs; 
additional BDS costs (177): EUR 667 million per year on 
top of the PAF; 

(174)   Corresponding to intervention fields 041 and 050 respectively in 

the RRF tracking Annex. 

(175)  Water investment levels are estimated through tracking EU funds, 
EIB projects and national expenditure (EPEA accounts, Eurostat). 
(176)  European Commission, ‘Financing Natura 2000 – Prioritised action 
website, 

European 

framewor s’, 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-
biodiversity/natura-2000/financing-natura-2000_en. 

Commission 

(177)  See European Commission: Directorate-General for Environment, 
Biodiversity  Financing  and  Tracking –  Final  report,  Publications 
Office 
2022, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/793eb6ec-dbd6-11ec-a534-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 

European  Union, 

Luxembourg, 

the 

of 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 Ireland  46 

costs (178): 

The gap 

• 

sustainable 
EUR 288 million per year. 

soil 

management 

Current investments 

The current level of biodiversity financing is estimated to 
be EUR 419 million per year (in 2022 prices) in 2021–2027. 
84.4 % of this is considered direct financing to biodiversity 
and ecosystems, with a 100 % coefficient  in the tracking 
schemes. 

0.4 % of the total financing is estimated to come from EU 
cohesion  policy,  0.5%  from  the  Space  fund,  60.5 %  from 
CAP, 3.5 % from Horizon Europe, around 1.4 % from LIFE 
and 1.1% from EMFAF.  The EU MFF altogether accounts 
for 67 % of the financing and the RRF for 3.4 %, adding up 
to  a  total  of  71%  from  the  EU  budget.  The  rest,  29 %, 
comes from national sources (179). 

Ireland is the Member State with the second-highest share 
of  biodiversity  financing  programmed  under  the  RRF, 
representing  11.8 %  of  the  entire  RRF  budget.  However, 
only  4 %  of  cohesion  policy  funds  (EU  contribution 
amount) 
is 
estimated  to  contribute  to  biodiversity  (disregarding 
ESF+).  Lastly,  18.5 %  of  the  CAP  budget  has  been 
programmed  for  investments  in  biodiversity  in  Ireland 
(see Figure 32). 

in  the  2021–2027  programming  period 

Figure 32: 2021–2027 contributions to biodiversity from 
the main EU instruments per Member State (% of policy 
total) 

NB: ESF+, European Social Fund Plus. 

(178)  See Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  on  soil  monitoring  and  resilience  (Soil  Monitoring  Law) 
COM(2023) 416 
2023, 
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-
directive-soil-monitoring-and-resilience_en. 
in 
biodiversity 

(179)  Based  on 

tracking 

budget 

5 July 

final 

the 

EU 

of 

(https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/3f466d71-92a7-49eb-9c63-
6cb0fadf29dc/library/8e44293a-d97f-496d-8769-50365780acde), 
and national expenditure into biodiversity from the Classification 
of the Functions of Government accounts. 

(180)  European  Commission,  Green  Budgeting  in  the  EU.  Key  Insights 
from the 2023 European Commission Survey of Green Budgeting 
https://economy-
Practices, 

2023, 

To  meet  the  environmental  objectives  concerning  the 
protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems 
and  other  relevant  cross-cutting  measures,  Ireland’s 
investment gap is estimated to be around EUR 0.7 billion 
per year, corresponding to 0.14 % of its GDP. 

Public financial management 

Green budgeting practices 

Green  budgeting  refers  to  the  use  of  budgetary  tools to 
achieve climate and environmental goals. Some Member 
States,  including  Ireland,  already  use  green  budgeting 
tools  for  identifying  and  tracking  green  expenditures 
and/or revenues (180). Green budgeting practices provide 
increased transparency on the environmental implications 
of budgetary policies. 

The  Commission  has  developed  a  non-mandatory  green 
budgeting  reference  framework  that  brings  together 
methodologies  for  assessing  the  impacts  of  budgets  on 
climate and environmental goals (181).  

Ireland  is  a  frontrunner  on  green  budgeting,  having 
started tracking climate-related expenditure in 2019. The 
methodology  was  since  expanded  to  systematically 
measure  climate  and  environmentally  favourable  and 
unfavourable  expenditures  across 
six  green 
the 
dimensions linked to the EU Taxonomy (182).  

To  help  Member  States  to  develop  national  green 
budgeting  and  thereby  improve  policy  coherence  and 
support the green transition, the Commission facilitated a 
technical  support  instrument  (TSI)  project  on  green 
budgeting  from  2021  to  2024 (183).  Ireland  participated, 
providing  expertise  and  further 
improving  its  green 
budgeting methodology. 

Ireland  has  also  been  selected  for  the  next  round  of  TSI 
projects on green budgeting, starting in 2025, where the 
country  will  expand  peer-to-peer  learning  through  civil 
servants’ exchanges. 

Beyond green budgeting, to improve policy outcomes, the 
Commission  has  also  drawn  up  climate-proofing  and 

finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-and-fiscal-governance/national-
fiscal-frameworks-eu-member-states/green-budgeting-
eu_en#:~:text=European%20Commission%20Green%20Budgetin
g%20Survey%C2%A0. 

(181)  European  Commission, 

‘European  Union  green  budgeting 
https://economy-

2022, 

framewor ’, 

reference 
finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-and-fiscal-governance/green-
budgeting-eu_en. 

(182)   https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/a92af-green-budgeting/ 
(183)  https://reform-support.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/revenue-

administration-and-public-financial-management/supporting-
implementation-green-budgeting-practices-eu_en. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
sustainability-proofing  guidance (184)  as  tools  to  assess 
project  eligibility  and  compliance  with  environmental 
legislation and criteria. 

Green taxation and tax reform 

Total environmental taxes amounted to EUR 4.4 billion in 
Ireland in 2022, representing 0.9 % of its GDP (EU average: 
2.0 %).  Energy  taxes  formed  the  largest  component  of 
environmental taxes, accounting for 0.5 % of GDP, which 
is lower than the EU average of 1.6 %. Transport taxes, at 
0.4 % of GDP, were around the EU average (0.4 %), while 
data  on  taxes  on  pollution  and  resources  were  not 
available  (EU  average:  0.08 %).  In  2022,  environmental 
taxes in Ireland accounted for 4.2 % of total revenues from 
taxes  and  social  security  contributions  (under  the  EU 
average of 5.0 %) (185). 

Figure 33: Environmental taxes per Member State, 2022 

 Ireland  47 

pays  principle’,  which  makes  polluters  bear  the  costs  to 
prevent, control and remedy pollution. 

charges 

(vehicles  and  plastic, 

According  to  a  2024  study (186),  Ireland  applies  emission 
charges  (fees  for  solid  waste  disposal  in  landfill)  and 
product 
including 
packaging). It has missed opportunities to apply emission 
charges  to,  for  example,  water  or  air  pollution;  to  apply 
product charges to specific goods, like fertilisers, tyres and 
paints; and to apply user charges for access to biodiversity 
and  mineral  extraction.  Wastewater  pollution  taxes  and 
intensive  agriculture  taxes  are  proposed  in  the  same 
study (187). 

Green bonds and sustainable bonds 

In 2023, the total value of green bonds issued by Member 
States  was  USD 245 billion  (EUR 227 billion),  up  from 
USD 234 billion (EUR 198 billion) in 2021 (188). 

During 2021–2023 combined, Ireland issued green bonds 
worth  USD 17 billion  (EUR 14.4 billion).  Of  this,  the 
issuance 
to  USD 9 billion 
(EUR 8.3 billion). 

amounted 

2023 

in 

During  2014–2023,  83 %  of  the  green  bonds  issued  by 
European  countries  (excluding  supranational  entities) 
served objectives in energy, buildings or transport, while 
5 % supported objectives in water, 5.1 % related to land 
use  (with  links  to  nature  and  ecosystems)  and  3.8 % 
applied  to  waste  management.  By  2023,  the  combined 
share of energy, buildings and transport had decreased to 
73 %, the shares of waste management and land use had 
increased (to 5.9 % and 8.4 %, respectively) and the share 
of water had remained around 5 %. 

issuances)  was 

In  2021–2023,  31.7 %  of  the  European  green  bonds 
(excluding  supranational 
issued  by 
financial  corporates,  29.1 %  by  sovereign  governments 
and  23.1 %  by  non-financial  corporates.  8.3 %  of  the 
issuances  was  linked  to  government-backed  entities, 
6.4 %  to  developments  banks  and  1.4 %  to 
local 
governments. 

The EU Green Deal emphasises the role of well-designed 
tax  reforms  (e.g.  shifts  from  taxing  labour  to  taxing 
pollution) to boost economic growth and resilience, and to 
foster  a  fairer  society  and  a  just  transition  through  the 
right price signals. The Green Deal promotes the ‘polluter-

(184)  Commission notice – Technical guidance on the climate proofing 
of infrastructure in the period 2021–2027 (OJ C 373, 16.09.2021, 
p. 1), 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/23a24b21-16d0-11ec-b4fe-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 

(185)  Eurostat, ‘Environmental taxes accounts’, env_eta. 
(186)  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Candidates  for  Taxing  Environmental  Bads  at  National  Level, 
Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg,  2024, 
Annexes 1–2, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/35c1bbdf-2931-11ef-9290-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en. 

(187)  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Candidates  for  Taxing  Environmental  Bads  at  National  Level, 
Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg,  2024, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
p. 17, 
/publication/35c1bbdf-2931-11ef-9290-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en. 

(188)  Climate  bonds  initiative  (https://www.climatebonds.net/).  NB. 
Additionally (and not included in this), national sources indicated 
EUR 544.8 million issuance for Croatia, in 2022-2023, and a slightly 
higher  amount  for  Slovenia  (+0.27  billion)  during  2021-2023  in 
total. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
Figure 34: Value of green bonds issued per Member State 
(EUR billion), 2021, 2022 and 2023 

 Ireland  48 

EUR 2.4 billion  (in  2015)  to  EUR 1.7 billion  (in  2021). 
However, 2022 and 2023 brought a significant increase in 
the  overall  size  of  energy  subsidies,  while  the  annual 
amount of FFS stayed around the previous level (EUR 1.8–
2.0 billion). 

As a share of GDP, FFS in 2022 ranged from 1.8 % in Croatia 
to less than 0.1 % in Denmark and Sweden. Ireland’s value 
reached 0.4 %, below the EU average (0.8 %) (192). 

Figure 35:  Energy  subsidies  by  energy  carrier  (billion 
EUR), 2015–2023 

Data source: Climatebonds.net, with some additional data from national 
sources (e.g. Croatia, Slovenia). 

Environmentally harmful subsidies 

Addressing  and  phasing  out  environmentally  harmful 
subsidies,  in  particular  fossil  fuel  subsidies  (FFS),  is  a 
further  step  towards  achieving  the  eighth  environment 
action  programme  objectives  and 
the  enabling 
conditions (189). FFS are costly for public budgets and make 
it difficult to achieve European Green Deal objectives. 

The overall downward trend of FFS mentioned in past EIRs 
was disrupted from 2022 due to the European response to 
the 2021 energy crisis and subsequent increase in energy 
prices. 

As  a  direct  consequence,  annual  FFS  in  the  EU  have 
increased to EUR 109 billion in 2023 from EUR 57 billion in 
2020.  From  2021  to  2023,  there  has  been  a  marked 
increase in annual FFS of 72 % in the EU (190). 

For the majority of the Member States (16), the year 2022 
saw  a  peak  in  the  amount  of  overall  FFS.  A  decline  was 
then observed in 2023 (191). In particular, FFS for coal and 
lignite, natural gas and oil increased in 2022 and a strong 
increase was observed for natural gas subsidies. 

In Ireland, the energy subsidies show  a decreasing trend 
between  2015  and  2021,  with  FFS  also  decreasing  from 

NB: RES, renewable energy source. 

financing  strategy 

Ireland received priority actions in the 2022 EIR to devise 
to  maximise 
an  environmental 
opportunities  for  closing  environmental  implementation 
gaps, bringing together all relevant administrative levels, 
and to ensure an increased level of financing, and further 
for  the 
in  private 
exploit  opportunities 
environment  to  cover  the  investment  needs  identified 
across  the  environmental  objectives  by  closing  the 
investment gaps. 

financing, 

Ireland  currently  has  a  similar  overall  environmental 
investment  gap  as  at  the  time  of  the  2022  EIR:  around 
0.7 % of GDP, slightly under the EU average in 2025. The 
gap  is  relatively  balanced  across  the  environmental 
objectives,  thus  requiring  attention  to  be  paid  across  all 
areas. 

(189)  Article 3(h) and 3(v) of the eighth environment action programme. 
(190)  European  Commission,  2024  Report  on  Energy  Subsidies  in  the 

European Union, COM(2025). 
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-
register/detail?ref=COM(2025)17&lang=en.   

(191)  16 Member States: BE, EE, IE, EL, ES, FR, HR, IT, CY, LT, HU, NL, AT, 

PT, RO and SE. 

(192)  European  Commission,  2024  Report  on  Energy  Subsidies  in  the 

European Union, COM(2025). 
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-
register/detail?ref=COM(2025)17&lang=en.   

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2025 priority action 

environmentally  harmful  subsidies),  EU  funding  and 
private funding to help close the investment gap. 

•  Use more national funding (for instance by increasing 
taxes  in  favour  of  the  environment  and  reducing 

 Ireland  49 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
Ireland  50 

6. Environmental governance 

Information, public participation and access to 
justice 

Inspire 
Ireland’s  performance 
Directive is substantial and has been reviewed based on 
its 2023 country fiche (196) (see Table 3) (197). 

implementing  the 

in 

to 

(iii) 

and 

access 

justice 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they rely on the three ‘pillars’ of the Aarhus Convention: 
(i)  access  to  information,  (ii)  public  participation  in 
decision-making 
in 
environmental  matters.  It  is  of  crucial  importance  to 
public  authorities,  the  public  and  businesses  that 
environmental 
is  shared  efficiently  and 
effectively (193).  Public  participation  allows  authorities  to 
make  decisions  that  take  public  concerns  into  account. 
Access to justice is a set of guarantees that allows citizens 
and  NGOs  to  use  national  courts  to  protect  the 
environment, safeguard the rights of citizens and ensure 
accountability  of  authorities (194).  It  includes  the  right  to 
bring legal challenges (‘legal standing’) (195). 

information 

Environmental information 

This  section  focuses  on  the  implementation  of  the 
Infrastructure  for  Spatial  Information  in  the  European 
Community (Inspire) Directive. The Inspire Directive aims 
to  set  up  a  European  spatial-data  infrastructure  for 
sharing environmental spatial information between public 
authorities across Europe. It is expected that this will help 
policymaking  across  boundaries  and  facilitate  public 
access  to  this  information.  Geographic  information  is 
needed  for  good  governance  at  all  levels  and  should  be 
readily and transparently available. 

(193)  The  Aarhus 

Convention 

(https://unece.org/environment-
policy/public-participation/aarhus-convention/text),  the  Access 
to  Environmental  Information  Directive  (Directive  2003/4/EC) 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32003L0004) 
Inspire 
Directive  (Directive  2007/2/EC)  (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32007L0002) together create a legal 
foundation for the sharing of environmental information between 
public authorities and with the public. 

and 

the 

(194)  These  guarantees  are  explained  in  the  European  Commission’s 
2017  notice  on  access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52017XC0818(02))  and  a  related 
2018 citizen’s guide (https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/2b362f0a-bfe4-11e8-99ee-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en/format-PDF). 

(195)  This  EIR  focuses  on  the  means  used  by  Member  States  to 
guarantee  rights  of  access  to  justice  and  legal  standing  and  to 
overcome other major barriers to bringing cases on environmental 
protection. 

(196)  European  Commission, 

‘ reland’, 

 nspire  Knowledge  Base, 

https://knowledge-base.inspire.ec.europa.eu/ireland_en. 

Table 3:  Ireland  dashboard  on  implementation  of  the 
Inspire Directive, 2016–2023 

2016 

2023 

Legend 

effective 

Effective coordination and data sharing  ■ Implementation of 
Ensure 
this  provision  is  well 
■  ■ 
coordination 
advanced  or  (nearly) 
completed. 
Outstanding 
issues 
are minor and can be 
addressed 
easily. 
Percentage > 89 % 

Data  sharing  without 
obstacle 

Inspire performance indicators 

■  ■ 

Conformity 

(i) 
metadata 

of 

■  ■ 

(ii)  Conformity  of 
spatial datasets  

■  ■ 

(iii)  Accessibility  of 
datasets 
spatial 
through 
view  and 
download services 

■  ■ 

(iv)  Conformity  of 
network services 

■  ■ 

■ Implementation of 
this  provision  has 
started  and  made 
some  or  substantial 
progress but is still not 
close 
being 
to 
completed. 
Percentage = 31–89 % 

■ Implementation of 
this provision is falling 
significantly  behind. 
Serious  efforts  are 
necessary to close the 
implementation  gap. 
Percentage < 31 % 

(197)  According to Irish authorities, over the past two  years, Ireland’s 
adherence  to  the  Inspire  Directive  has  significantly  improved 
thanks to continued support systems. These enhancements have 
greatly  advanced  the  implementation  of  the  directive  across 
various  work  areas,  including  through  the  development  of  new 
applications  and  tools,  metadata  creation,  data  transformation, 
and  the  establishment  and  validation  of  network  services.  The 
Geoportal  (https://inspire.geohive.ie)  plays  a  role  in  Ireland’s 
commitment to meeting its Inspire obligations. The accessibility of 
spatial datasets through view and download services has also seen 
considerable  improvement,  with  these  services  now  available 
online 
(https://inspire.geohive.ie/geoportal/csw?SERVICE=CSW&VERSI
ON=2.0.2&REQUEST=GetCapabilities).  The  Inspire  data-sharing 
arrangements have enhanced the sharing of environmental spatial 
information  between  public  authorities  across  Europe.  This  is 
achieved by publishing the declared Irish Inspire datasets through 
the Irish Inspire Geoportal, which connects to the EU Inspire portal 
and  the  broader  Inspire  network  for  reuse.  With  its  ongoing 
support  systems  and 
improved  reporting  applications  and 
infrastructures, Ireland has made significant strides since 2023 in 
implementing the Inspire Directive. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
Source:  European  Commission,  ‘Ireland’,   nspire  Knowledge  Base, 
https://knowledge-base.inspire.ec.europa.eu/ireland_en. 

Public participation 

Public involvement  at both the planning and the  project 
phase  maximises  transparency  and  social  acceptance  of 
programmes  and  projects.  Consultation  with  the  public 
(including  NGOs)  and  environmental,  local  and  regional 
authorities  is  a  key  feature  of  an  effective  impact 
assessment procedure. Such consultation also provides an 
opportunity for public authorities and project promoters 
to  engage  with  the  public  actively  and  meaningfully  by 
making information on the likely significant effects widely 
available. If carried out with due diligence and taking into 
consideration  useful  public  input,  this  process  leads  to 
better-informed decision-making and can promote public 
acceptance.  Making 
increases 
stakeholder  involvement,  thus  lessening  resistance  and 
preventing (or minimising) litigation. On the other hand, it 
is paramount that the procedure is effective. 

information  available 

This  section  examines  how  public 
involvement  and 
transparency are ensured under two instruments, namely 
the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (198) 
and  the  Strategic  Environmental  Assessment  (SEA) 
Directive (199). 

EU law provides for a flexible framework concerning EIAs. 
The aim of this framework is to ensure the application of 
the  necessary  environmental  safeguards,  while  enabling 
speedy  approval  of  projects.  The  Commission  has 
contributed to simplifying and accelerating permitting for 
renewable energy projects and continues to support the 
Member States in this regard (200).   Ireland has not taken 
steps  aiming  to  accelerate  permit-issuing  procedures 
taking advantages of the broad flexibilities offered by the 
EU legal framework, such as the establishment of one-stop 
shops and accelerated short deadlines for issuing permits 
for renewable energy projects. 

(198)  Directive  2011/92/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of 
certain public and private projects on the environment (OJ L 26, 
28.1.2012, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
p. 1), 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32011L0092. 

(199)  Directive  2001/42/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain 
plans and programmes on the environment (OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, 
p. 30), 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32001L0042. 

(200)  Commission Staff Working Document  (SWD/2022/0149 final), 18 
May 
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022SC0149&qid=1653034229
953).  

2022, 

(201)  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Collection of information and data on the implementation of the 
revised  Environmental 
(EIA)  Directive 
(2011/92/EU) as amended by 2014/52/EU), Publications Office of 
the  European  Union,  Luxembourg,  2024,  Tables 5  and  6, 

Impact  Assessment 

Ireland  51 

and 

(screening, 

scoping,  EIA 

The average speed in the EU for permitting involving an 
EIA procedure is 20.6 months, with  a minimum duration 
of  11.4 months 
a  maximum  duration  of 
75.7 months (201).  The  duration  of  each  step  in  an  EIA 
report,  public 
process 
consultation, reasoned conclusion, development consent) 
varies considerably between Member States and projects. 
The available data for Ireland do not cover all the steps of 
the EIA and so do not allow for overall conclusions to be 
drawn;  however,  for  the  screening,  scoping  and  public 
consultation  phases,  Ireland  reported  shorter  durations. 
Effective use of EU procedures can positively influence the 
the 
timely 
decarbonisation of the economy on the way to net zero by 
2050. 

activities  underpinning 

approval  of 

A new report  is not  yet  available on the application and 
effectiveness of the SEA Directive in the EU. Nevertheless, 
a support study has been published with  information by 
Member State (202). 

It  contains  all 

The EIA Portal is the central portal for information on EIA 
projects. 
information  related  to  an 
application  for  development  consent.  However,  it  does 
not  provide  a  means  to  engage  with  a  particular 
application, but rather a conduit to the related competent 
authority’s website for further information and methods 
to make submissions/observations. There is currently no 
SEA  portal.  However,  developing  a  SEA  portal  is  part  of 
Ireland’s current SEA action plan; this was the subject of a 
2022 priority action (203). There is a lack of data available 
on  the  level  of  public  participation  in  decision-making 
processes,  including  authorisations  linked  to  the  EIA 
Directive  (Directive  2011/92/EU)  and  SEA  Directive 
(Directive  2001/42/EC).  Public  participation 
in  EIA 
procedures  is  difficult  to  assess  in  the absence  of  public 
participation monitoring. Nonetheless, progress has been 
made in developing key standalone resources for SEA (204). 

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/8349a857-2936-11ef-9290-01aa75ed71a1/. 
(202)  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Environment, 
Lundberg, P., McNeill, A., McGuinn, J., Cantarelli, A. et al., Study 
supporting  the  preparation  of  the  report  on  the  application  and 
effectiveness  of  the  SEA  Directive  (Directive  2001/42/EC)  –  Final 
study,  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  2025, 
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/1615072 
 reland’s SEA statutory authorities are investigating the feasibility 
of developing a SEA portal. 

(203) 

SEA 

Spatial 

(204)  The  mentioned  resources  on  SEA  are  the  (i)  EPA  SEA  WebGIS 
search  and  reporting  tool  (https://gis.epa.ie/EPAMaps/SEA),  (ii) 
EPA 
Inventory 
Information 
(https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--
assessment/assessment/strategic-environmental-
assessment/sea-spatial-information-sources-inventory-.php);  (iii) 
EPA-funded  SEA  environmental  sensitivity  mapping  webtool 
(https://enviromap.ie/),  (iv)  interactive  map  of  the  Office  of  the 

Sources 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
There is a lack of evidence on public participation, which 
makes it difficult to confirm whether public participation 
in EIA procedures has declined. 

late 

Ireland  was  very 

in  transposing  Directive 
As 
2014/52/EU on EIA, the Commission is now assessing the 
correctness of the transposition of the legislation adopted 
by  Ireland.  Concerns  have  also  been  raised  through  an 
infringement  procedure  initiated  by  the  Commission  on 
the failure to carry out EIAs for peat extraction activities 
despite  the  large  number  of  projects  that  fall  into  this 
category  in  Ireland (205).  An  infringement  procedure  has 
been  ongoing  since  July  2020.  While  the  Irish  EPA  has 
taken action to enforce the requirements of the directive 
against larger operators, questions still remain about the 
legality  of  smaller  peat  extraction  operations.  The 
Commission is also assessing whether the quarry sector is 
in  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  the  directive, 
having  received  numerous  complaints  that  breaches 
remain despite the adoption of a new substitute consent 
regime  (adopted  in  answer  to  the  judgment  in  Case  C-
215/06). 

Ireland  has  not  yet  ratified  the  Protocol  on  Strategic 
Environmental Assessment  to the UNECE Convention on 
Environmental  Impact  Assessment  in  a  Transboundary 
Context (Kiev Protocol). 

Access to justice 

Access to justice, guaranteed by Article 19(1) of the Treaty 
on  European  Union  and  Article 47  of  the  EU  Charter  of 
Fundamental Rights, is a fundamental right and part of the 
democratic process. It is vital to ensure the full application 
of EU law in all Member States and the legal protection of 
the  rights  of  individuals,  including  in  environmental 
matters.  Access  to  justice  is  essential  to  enable  judicial 
review of the decisions of public authorities and to allow 
the  correction  of  any  wrongdoing  committed  by  these 
authorities. 

This  section  provides  a  snapshot  of  the  state  of  play  of 
access to courts by the public, particularly when it comes 
to challenging plans, or the non-adoption of plans, under 
EU law, in the areas of water, waste, air quality and noise, 
irrespective of the form of the legal act (i.e. regulatory act 
or administrative decision). 

As  mentioned  in  the  2022  EIR,  both  individuals  and 
environmental  NGOs  have  standing  in  environmental 
cases.  The  standing  of  environmental  NGOs  depends  on 

Ireland  52 

meeting some conditions as regards their legal status and 
operation  (e.g.  their  aims  must  be  related  to  promoting 
the  environment  and  they  must  have  pursued  that 
objective over the previous 12 months). Both primary and 
secondary legislation can be challenged by way of judicial 
review. When primary legislation is challenged, the relief 
is declaratory in nature. 

The costs of environmental court procedures represent a 
very  significant  obstacle  to  accessing  justice,  even  for  a 
high-income individual or organisation. In complex cases, 
it  is  not  unheard  of  for  a  party’s  own  costs  to  exceed 
EUR 500 000 (206).  The  Commission  remains  concerned 
about  the high  costs of environmental litigation and the 
lack of clarity as to what costs environmental litigants are 
likely to face from the outset. Therefore, the Commission 
opened an infringement procedure on this matter (207). 

For several years, Ireland has promised to clarify the rules 
on  costs  for  access  to  justice  through  a  consolidating 
Aarhus bill, but this has not materialised. It was finally left 
to the Irish Supreme Court to clarify the scope of cost rules 
in environmental cases. However, the regime is again  in 
flux, as Ireland is in the process of implementing its new 
Planning  and  Development  Act.  There  has  been 
considerable  criticism  of  some  of  the  provisions  of  this 
new  law,  particularly  regarding  the  continued  lack  of 
clarity  regarding  rules  on  costs,  and  new  concerns 
regarding 
to 
hurdles 
environmental  claimants  attempts  to  gain  locus  standi. 
Furthermore,  the  Commission  has  received  numerous 
complaints reporting that environmental NGOs have been 
openly  criticised  by  some  government  ministers  for 
bringing  cases  that  challenge  certain  developments  and 
that  some  lawyers  acting  on  behalf  of  environmental 
litigants  have  faced  strategic  lawsuits  against  public 
participation (SLAPP suits). 

additional 

added 

being 

In 2022, Ireland received a priority action on the need to 
make  spatial  data  more  widely  accessible  and  prioritise 
the  environmental  datasets.  Ireland  has  made  good 
progress  on  the  accessibility  of  spatial  data,  but  more 
efforts are needed. Therefore, the 2022 priority action is 
repeated. In the 2022 EIR, there were a number of priority 
actions  addressed  to  Ireland  on  access  to  justice,  in 
particular to (i) make significant improvements to ensure 
that the high costs and the lack of clarity about those costs 
in  advance  of  any  legal  action  do  not  hinder  effective 
access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters,  (ii)  better 
inform the public about their right to access to justice and 
(iii)  ensure  that  abusive  SLAPP  suits  designed  to  deter 

Planning  Regulator  displaying  details  of  live  public  consultations 
on statutory land-use plans (https://gis.epa.ie/EPAMaps/SEA); (v) 
management  of  a  SEA  activity  statistics  portal;  and  (vi)  ‘Public 
participation and performance criteria in strategic environmental 
assessment: The way forward to advancing practice’ (Seaway), a 
project  co-founded  by  the  EPA  and  the  Office  of  the  Planning 

Regulator. Seaway is a 24-month project that will help to inform 
the development of a SEA portal. 
INFR(2019)4007. 
Judgment of 15 March 2018, North East Pylon Pressure Campaign 
Limited  and  Maura  Sheehy  v  An  Bord  Pleanála  and  Others,  C-
470/16, EU:C:2018:185. 
INFR(2012)4028. 

(205) 
(206) 

(207) 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
legitimate  environmental  access  to  justice  are  identified 
and prevented via the appropriate means. To address the 
first  priority  action,  Ireland  adopted  the  Planning  and 
Development  Act  2024.  The  act  includes  a  financial 
assistance mechanism for environmental–legal costs. The 
new costs regime proposed by the act can, however, only 
become  operational  once  implementing  regulations  are 
adopted,  and  these  are  still  awaited.  Hence,  the 
Commission  cannot  at  this  stage  conclude  if  the  recent 
legislative developments are enough to reduce the issue 
of  costs  as  a  significant  hurdle  to  access  to  justice  in 
environmental  matters.  The  assessment  is  therefore 
deferred to a future EIR. On the second priority action, the 
information provided to citizens on access to justice (208) 
still does not refer to the Commission e-justice factsheets 
on access to justice in environmental matters (209). There 
was  no  progress  noted  on  the  third  priority  action  on 
SLAPP suits. Thus these priority actions remain unfulfilled. 

2025 priority actions 

• 

in 

datasets 

environmental 

•  Make  spatial  data  more  widely  accessible  and 
prioritise 
the 
implementation  of  the  Inspire  Directive,  especially 
those  identified  as  high-value  spatial  datasets  for 
implementing environmental legislation (210). 
Ensure  that  relevant  information  on  EIA  and  SEA 
procedures 
(including  on  public  participation 
opportunities and on publication of final decisions) is 
electronically accessible in a timely manner, through 
at least a central portal or easily accessible points of 
access, at the appropriate administrative level. 
Provide  information  on  the  average  duration  of  all 
steps in the EIA process. 
Ensure  correct  transposition  of  the  revised  EIA 
Directive. 

• 

• 

•  Ratify the amendment to the UNECE Convention on 
Transboundary  Environmental  Impact  Assessment 
and 
the  Protocol  on  Strategic  Environmental 
Assessment. 
Improve  access  to  courts  in  national  environmental 
cases by the public concerned and eliminate practical 
barriers, such as length of proceedings and excessive 
costs. 

• 

(208)  https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b3b1a-aarhus-

convention/#access-to-justice; 
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/environme
nt-and-the-law/. 

(209)  See  the  European  Commission  eJustice  portal 

(https://e-
justice.europa.eu/content_access_to_justice_in_environmental_
matters-300-en.do). 

(210)  The  European  Commission provides  a  list  of  high-value  spatial 
datasets 
(https://github.com/INSPIRE-MIF/need-driven-data-
prioritisation/blob/main/documents/eReporting_PriorityDataList
_V2.1_final_20201008.xlsx). 

Ireland  53 

Compliance assurance 

Environmental  compliance  assurance  covers  all  work 
undertaken by public authorities to ensure that industries, 
farmers and others fulfil their obligations to protect water, 
air and nature, to manage waste (211) and to remedy any 
environmental  damage.  It  includes  measures  such  as  (i) 
compliance  promotion,  (ii)  compliance  monitoring  (i.e. 
inspections  and  other  checks),  (iii)  enforcement,  that  is, 
steps taken to stop breaches and impose sanctions, and 
(iv) ensuring damage prevention and remediation in line 
with the polluter-pays principle. 

Compliance promotion, monitoring and enforcement 

Non-compliance  with  environmental  obligations  may 
occur for different reasons, including poor understanding 
or  lack  of  acceptance  of  the  rules,  opportunism  or  even 
criminality.  Compliance  promotion  activities  help  duty-
holders to comply by providing information, guidance and 
other  support.  This  is  particularly  important  in  areas 
where new and complex legislation is put in place. 

When  inspections  and  other  control  activities  identify 
problems,  a  range  of  responses  may  be  appropriate, 
the  use  of  administrative  and  criminal 
including 
enforcement tools. 

in 

Ireland. 

informed 

Ireland  has 

The  EPA,  Waste  Enforcement  Regional  Lead  Authorities, 
and  the  National  Parks  and  Wildlife  Service  (NPWS) 
continue  to  play  key  roles  in  enforcing  environmental 
regulations 
the 
Commission that the NPWS continues to actively address 
wildlife crime, particularly in areas like habitat and wildlife 
protection.  It  initiated  43  prosecutions  in  2023 (212). 
Additionally, there has been enhancing collaboration with 
An Garda Síochána (the Irish police), especially regarding 
enforcement  actions  related  to  wildlife  legislation.  This 
partnership  includes  a  protocol  between  NPWS  and  An 
Garda Síochána to formalise coordination on wildlife and 
environmental crime cases. 

Despite  these  developments,  challenges  remain  due  to 
the  absence  of  a  centralised  authority  overseeing  all 
environmental  enforcement, 
to  occasional 
complexity  in  managing  interagency  responsibilities.  A 
particular concern in Ireland has been the lack of support 

leading 

(211)  The concept is explained in detail in the European Commission’s 
2018  communication  on  EU  actions  to  improve  environmental 
compliance  and  governance  (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52018DC0010)  and  the  related 
Commission 
(https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0010). 
(212)  https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/c524e-significant-
successes-by-npws-against-wildlife-crime-in-2023/. 

document 

working 

staff 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
provided  to  local  authorities,  which  carry  many  of  the 
responsibilities for decisions on development consent. It is 
recognised  that  these  authorities  are  under-resourced 
and  that  for  certain  project  categories,  such  as  quarries 
and peat extraction, they may not represent the best level 
for decision making. The new Planning and Development 
Act proposes that some of these local functions are moved 
to a new regional decision-making body. It will need to be 
seen  if  this  proposal  is  implemented  in  practice  and 
sufficiently  resourced  to  bring  quarrying  and  peat 
extraction activities under better control. 

It  is  important  to  note  that  Ireland  produces  national 
enforcement  priorities on an annual basis, which  inform 
the EPA’s assessment of performance by local authorities 
regarding  their  environmental  functions  in  the  areas  of 
waste, water, air and noise (213). 

The new EU Environmental Crime Directive 

on 

(ECD) 

provisions 

Crime  Directive 

The EU has recently strengthened its legal framework on 
tackling  the  most  serious  breaches  of  environmental 
obligations,  notably  by  the  adoption  of  the  new 
(Directive 
Environmental 
2024/1203/EU)214  and  new  sectoral 
legislation  with 
compliance  monitoring, 
stronger 
enforcement  and  penalties.  Issues  important  for  the 
transposition and the implementation of the relevant new 
instruments  are  highlighted  below;  however, 
in 
accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 21 on the 
position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of 
the area of freedom, security and justice, annexed to the 
Treaty  on  European  Union  and  to  the  Treaty  on  the 
Functioning of the European Union, and without prejudice 
to Article 4 of that protocol, Ireland is not adopting the EU 
criminal  legal  instruments  and  is  not  bound  by  them  or 
subject to their application. 

The  new  ECD  replaced  the  2008  ECD  and  introduced 
several  new  offence  categories,  such  as  unlawful  ship 
recycling,  unlawful  water  abstraction,  and  serious 
breaches  of  EU 
legislation  on  chemicals,  mercury, 
fluorinated GHG and IAS of EU concern. It also covered the 
establishment  of  qualified  offences,  subject  to  more 
severe penalties where one of the offences defined in the 
directive  leads  to  serious  widespread  and  substantial 
damage  or  destruction  of  the  environment.  Concrete 
provisions on the types and levels of penalties for natural 
and  legal  persons  who  commit  an  offence  were  also 

(213)  https://www.epa.ie/publications/compliance--

enforcement/public-authorities/Local-Authority-Environmental-
Enforcement-Performance-Report-2023_printable-PDF.pdf. 
(214)  Directive  2024/1203/EU  on  the  protection  of  the  environment 
(https://eur-

criminal 

through 
law 
lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1203/oj/eng).  

(215)  https://www.impel.eu/en. 
(216) 

LIFE+SATEC 
(https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE2

project 

Ireland  54 

introduced.  Other  provisions  will  help  considerably  to 
improve  the  effectiveness  in  combating  environmental 
crime  of  all  actors  along  the  enforcement  chain.  These 
include  obligations  to  ensure  adequate  resources  and 
investigative  tools,  specialised  regular  training  and  the 
establishment  of  cooperation  mechanisms  within  and 
between Member States as well as national strategies on 
combating environmental crime. 

Member States, but not Ireland, are required to transpose 
the new ECD into national law by 21 May 2026 and to take 
to  more  effectively  combat 
additional  measures 
in  particular  through  training, 
environmental  crime, 
coordination, cooperation and strategic approaches. The 
Commission will provide support, including by facilitating 
the identification and sharing of good practices. Member 
States are expected to ensure the necessary resources and 
invited  to 
specialised  skills  required  and  they  are 
encourage their authorities to support and cooperate with 
the  recognised  EU-level  networks  of  environmental 
enforcement practitioners, such as the EU Network for the 
Implementation  and  Enforcement  of  Environmental 
Law (215),  EnviCrimeNet (216),  the  European  Network  of 
Prosecutors for the Environment (217) and the EU Forum of 
Judges for the Environment (218). 

Although Ireland did not opt in to the ECD, the European 
Union  Agency  for  Law  Enforcement  Cooperation  and 
European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation 
mechanisms for cooperation on cross-border cases should 
be used more systematically for environmental offences, 
as  well  as 
the 
aforementioned  EU-level  networks  of  environmental 
enforcement practitioners. 

strengthening  cooperation  with 

Environmental Liability Directive 

The  Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)219  aims  to 
ensure that environmental damage is remediated in kind 
at the expense of those who have caused it, in line with 
the polluter-pays principle. It helps to halt the net loss in 
biodiversity,  as  well  as  reducing  the  number  of 
contaminated  sites  and  protecting  the  environmental 
quality of groundwater and surface waters. The ELD is a 
cross-cutting 
for  better 
tool  and  a  key  enabler 
implementation of EU environmental law. 

The  ELD  addresses  cases  of  significant  environmental 
damage  to  protected  species  and  natural  habitats,  and, 

0-PRE-ES-000001/fight-against-environmental-crime-at-a-
strategic-level-through-the-strengthening-of-envicrimenet-
network-of-experts-in-environmental-criminal-investigations). 

(217)  https://www.environmentalprosecutors.eu. 
(218)  https://www.eufje.org/index.php?lang=en. 
(219)  Directive 2004/35/EC on environmental liability with regard to the 
prevention and remedying of environmental damage, https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02004L0035-20190626.  

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
when caused by operators carrying out certain potentially 
hazardous  activities,  also  damages  to  water  and  to  soil. 
The  Commission  has  the  legal  obligation  to  periodically 
evaluate  the  ELD.  The  ELD  has  undergone  the  second 
evaluation (220), which will be finalised in 2025, and which 
was  supported  by  an  external  study (221),  containing, 
among  other  things,  evidence,  views,  reports  and  other 
relevant information gathered from different stakeholder 
groups, including Member States. 

indicators 

One  of  the  most  relevant 
in  assessing 
implementation  and  enforcement  of  the  ELD  is  the 
number  of  environmental  damage  cases  handled  under 
the  ELD,  especially  when  this  number  is  compared  with 
the  previous  reporting  period.  Fewer  ELD  cases  were 
reported in the second reporting period (2013–2022) than 
in  the  first  one  (2007–2013).  However,  the  downward 
tendency  in  the  number  of  ELD  occurrences  and  their 
overall low number do not necessarily mean that the ELD 
has  achieved  its  objectives,  as  it  needs  to  be  compared 
with the overall number of environmental damage cases, 
some of  which  may have been handled under the other 
liability instruments. 
The ELD has not always been effective in ensuring that the 
polluter  pays,  because  the  liable  operators  often  lack 
financial  capacity  to  carry  out  remediation  measures. 
While the ELD does not provide for a mandatory financial 
security  system,  it  explicitly  calls  for  Member  States  to 
encourage 
financial  security 
instruments  and  markets,  with  the  aim  of  enabling 
operators  to  use  financial  guarantees  to  cover  their 
responsibilities under this directive. 
From 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2021, the Irish EPA 
screened 62 potential ELD cases (not  including incidents 
reported under environmental permit legislation). In most 
cases arising during the second reporting period, the EPA 
concluded that environmental damage under the ELD had 
not  occurred.  However,  two  of  the  cases  arising  in  the 
second  reporting  period  were  confirmed  in  2022  to  be 
cases  of  environmental  damage  and  remain  under  open 
investigation. 

the  development  of 

The  Irish  government  has  not  enacted  legislation  that 
specifically  mandates  financial  security  for  ELD  or  other 
environmental liabilities. The Irish EPA requires operators 
of  industrial  emissions  licences  issued  by  it  to  have 

(220)  Commission  staff  working  document  -  Evaluation  of  the 

Environmental Liability Directive, forthcoming 2025. 

(221)  European Commission: Directorate-General for Environment and 
in  support  of  the  evaluation  of  the 
Fogleman,  V.,  Study 
Environmental  Liability  Directive  and  its  implementation –  Final 
report,  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg, 
2024, 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/006d90e5-980a-11ef-a130-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en 
It  should  be  noted  that  the  EPA  website  holds  memoranda  of 
understanding with all key stakeholders that have responsibilities 
linked to the functions of the EPA. 

p. 37, 

(222) 

Ireland  55 

evidence of financial security for unknown environmental 
liabilities  and  environmental  responsibilities  for  closure, 
restoration  and  aftercare,  through  the 
inclusion  of 
conditions  in  those  licences.  The  mandatory  financial 
security system applies to 193 facilities currently, with the 
caveat that this figure is dynamic. 

The  2022  EIR  recommended  that  Ireland  provide  public 
information on ELD cases. The ELD Article 18(1) Registry is 
available  to  the  public  on  request  and  will  be  made 
available on the EPA website in 2025 (222). 

2025 priority action 

• 

Encourage the use of training programmes provided 
by  the  Commission  (or  developed  at  the  national 
level) covering the ELD and its interactions with the 
other national liability-related instruments, to ensure 
more  efficient  ELD  implementation,  improve  the 
expertise  of  the  competent  authorities  and  raise 
awareness among all stakeholder groups. 

EU-supported environmental capacity building 

initiative 

The  Commission’s  2023  Compact (223) 
to 
enhance  the  administrative space  identifies  the  capacity 
to  lead  the  green  transition  as  one  of  three  key  pillars, 
along with the public administration skills agenda and the 
capacity  for  Europe’s  Digital  Decade.  Compact  also 
recognises the role of the EIR reporting tool in improving 
environmental  governance.  The  two  main  capacity-
building  opportunities  for  the  environment  provided  by 
the European Commission are the TSI (224) and the TAIEX-
EIR  PEER  2  PEER  tool (225).  The  technical  assistance 
available through the cohesion policy is subject to shared 
management and is not dealt with in this subsection. 

The Commission’s technical support instrument 

The  TSI  provides  Member  States  with  tailor-made 
technical expertise on the design and implementation of 
reforms.  The  support  is  demand  driven  and  does  not 
require national co-financing. 

(223)  See 

the  European  Commission  web  page  on  Compact 
(https://reform-support.ec.europa.eu/public-administration-and-
governance-coordination/enhancing-european-administrative-
space-compact_en). 

(224)  See 

the  European  Commission  web  page  on 

the  TSI 

(https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-
funding/eu-funding-programmes/technical-support-
instrument/technical-support-instrument-tsi_en). 

(225)  See the European Commission web page on the TAIEX-EIR PEER 2 
(https://environment.ec.europa.eu/law-and-

PEER 
governance/environmental-implementation-review/peer-2-
peer_en). TAIEX: Technical Assistance and Information Exchange. 

tool 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
The  Commission’s  TSI  had  annual  calls  in  2021,  2022, 
2023, 2024 and 2025. The following environment-related 
projects have been selected for Ireland: 

•  RISKS resilience: Integration of strategic risk systems, 
from the Office of Emergency Planning (2023); 

•  Building 

policy 

coherence 

sustainable 
development 
local 
government  in  Ireland,  from  the  Department  of  the 
Environment, Climate and Communications (2023); 

(PCSD)  across  national  and 

for 

•  Accelerating  the  decarbonisation  of  heating 

in 
Limerick, from the Limerick City and County Council 
(2023); 

• 

•  Accelerating  permitting  for  renewable  energy,  from 
the  Department  of  the  Environment,  Climate  and 
Communications (2023); 
ESG (226)  risk  management 
for  the 
financial  sector,  from  the  Central  Bank  of  Ireland 
(2023); 
Enhancing the Centre of  Government’s capacities to 
steer  complex  priorities  and  manage  crisis  and 
megatrends 
review  and 
through  peer-to-peer 
learning,  from  the  Department  of  the  Taoiseach 
(2024). 

framework 

• 

Ireland  56 

• 

Future  challenges  for  air  protection  (24 November 
2022) with the Czech EU presidency; 

•  Make  space  for  biodiversity:  Regional  action  to 
mainstream  biodiversity  and  empower  stakeholders 
(21–23 March 2023); 

•  Decentralised  bio-waste  recycling 

in  Austria  (9–

11 October 2023); 

•  Measures  to  reduce  air  pollution  in  transport  and 

residential energy (11–13 June 2024); 

•  Online  platforms:  EU  Batteries,  Packaging  and 

Packaging Waste Regulation (28–29 October 2024); 

•  New aspects in the cross-border cooperation against 
environmental crime (19–20 November 2024). 

Ireland  was  involved  in  an  expert  mission  on  enhancing 
Malta’s  municipal  solid  waste  on  31 October 
to 
2 November  2022,  an  expert  mission  on  enhancing 
capacity building related to the  SEA process in Malta on 
18–20 October  2023  and  an  expert  mission  on  proper 
implementation of the Nature Directives and BDS on 24–
27 September 2024. Ireland participated in a study visit on 
enhancing capacity building related to the SEA process in 
Malta  on  20–22 June  2023  and  a  study  visit  on  proper 
implementation  of  Articles 6(3)  and  6(4)  of  the  Habitats 
Directive on 27–29 September 2023. 

The Commission’s TAIEX-EIR PEER 2 PEER tool 

2025 priority action 

• 

Improve overall national environmental governance, 
in  particular  administrative  capacity  to  support  the 
green transition and coordination at the regional and 
local levels. 

The Commission launched the TAIEX-EIR PEER 2 PEER tool 
in 2017. It aims to facilitate peer-to-peer learning among 
Member  States’  environmental  authorities  through 
workshops  (single  or  multi-country),  expert  missions 
(where a  delegation of  experts travels to the requesting 
institution) and study visits (where a delegation from the 
requesting institution travels to a host country). Flagship 
multi-country  workshops  are  those  requested  by  the 
Commission to present new and upcoming environmental 
legislation and policy in all Member States (227). 

Workshops involving Ireland are as follows: 

• 

• 

Climate  adaptation  and  blue 
infrastructures: 
Examples across European regions (30 May to 1 June 
2022); 
Circular economy in the Irish midlands (4–6 October 
2022); 

(226) 
(227) 

‘ESG’ means ‘environmental, social and governance’. 
  Water 
flagship  multi-country  workshops:  Recast  Drinking 
Directive 
(3  April  2025);  Environmental  compliance  and 
governance  (18  March  2025);  Planning  of  Renewable  Energy 
Projects  (20  February  2025);  Air  Quality:  Implementation  of  the 
revised Air Quality Directive (16 January 2025); Industrial safety: 
awareness  raising  of  emerging  risks  linked  with  climate  change 
and  decarbonation 
(12  December  2024);  Air  quality: 
implementation  of  the  NEC  Directive  to  further  mainstream  air 
in  agricultural  policy  (25 
and  broader  pollution  reduction 
September  2024); 
transposition  and 
Industrial  emissions 
implementation  of  the  revised  Directive  (12  September  2024); 
Noise:  progress  towards  meeting  Member  States’  noise  limit 

values and EU reduction targets (5 June 2024); Best practice use 
of  environmental  footprint  methods  on the  EU  market  (30  May 
2024);  Sustainable  finance  (9  November  2023);  Textile  waste 
separate collection, treatment and markets (3 October 2023); EU 
environmental  funding  and  support  (13  June  2023);  Advisory 
service for businesses to go circular (24 April 2023); Digital product 
passport implementation (6 December 2022); Public involvement 
in  planning  and  approval  of  renewable  energy  projects  (17 
November 2022); Environmental compliance and governance (14 
November  2022);  Biowaste  management  (19-20  September 
2022); Renewable energy projects: permitting granting processes 
(13 June 2022);).  N.B. the first flagship workshop on Zero Pollution 
for Air, Water and Soil, took place on 9 February 2022. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
Ireland  57 

Annex 
2025 priority actions

Circular economy and waste management 
Transitioning to a circular economy 

•  Adopt measures to increase the circular material use rate. 
• 

Speed  up  the  transition  to  a circular  economy  by  implementing  an  updated  national  strategy  and  the EU 
framework and recommendations, in particular to complement it with upstream circularity measures. 
Waste management 

• 

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

• 

Implement,  harmonise,  and  gradually  increase  landfill  taxes  to  phase  out  landfilling  of  recyclable  and 
recoverable waste. 
Further shift reusable and recyclable waste away from incineration, including through economic instruments. 
Improve  separate  collection  at  source  e.g.  through  economic  instruments,  investing  in  infrastructure  for 
separate collection, sorting and recycling, and increasing public awareness. 
Improve municipal waste preparation for reuse and recycling. 
Increase the recycling rates of packaging waste. 
Increase the collection and recycling rate of waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE). 
Invest in waste prevention measures to reduce the total amount of waste generated. 
Ensure the achievement of the 2025 waste targets, following the recommendations made by the Commission 
in the Early Warning Reports where applicable. 

Biodiversity and natural capital 
Nature protection and restoration – Natura 2000 

Complete the Natura 2000 site designation process. Set site-specific conservation objectives and establish 
conservation measures.  

Recovery of species  

Strengthen the integration of biodiversity actions into other policies (e.g. on energy, agriculture, fisheries, 
forestry, urban and infrastructure planning and sustainable tourism) and promote communication between 
stakeholders. 

•  Reinforce  action  for  habitats  and  species  with  unfavourable  conservation  status  through,  for  example, 
restoration  measures,  increased  connectivity,  better  policy  coordination  and  integration  and  increased 
funding. 

Agricultural ecosystems 

Recovery of ecosystems 

• 

• 

Implement  environmental  eco-schemes  and  agri-environmental  as  well  as  Natura  2000  measures  and 
practices to address the environmental needs of Ireland. 
Implement and scale up the uptake of organic farming practices. 

Wetlands/peatlands 

• 

Implement peatland conservation and restoration measures and include such measures and objectives in the 
national restoration plans. 

Forest ecosystems 

• 

Implement forest State aid and the latest recommendation provided by the Commission. Restore afforested 
areas that cause impact on habitats and species (e.g. bogs, hen harrier, freshwater pearl mussel). 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
 
 
 
Ireland  58 

• 

• 

Improve the conservation status of forests by promoting sustainable forest management and ensuring 
compliance with the Habitats Directive before granting/renewing permits for forest logging. 

Prevention and management of invasive alien species  

Step up implementation of the IAS Regulation, including with regard to enforcement and the capacity of 
inspection authorities. 

Zero pollution 
Clean air 

•  As part of the NAPCP, take action to reduce emissions of air pollutants. 
• 

Ensure full compliance with the current AAQD standards, also in light of future stricter requirements under 
the revised AAQD. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Industrial emissions 

Engage with industry and environmental NGOs to ensure proper contribution to and implementation of BAT 
conclusions, and ensure timely updates of permits following the publication of BAT conclusions. 
Ensure effective public participation and access to justice in relation to the IED. 

Sign and ratify the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. 

Major industrial accidents prevention – Seveso 

Complete and implement action plans on noise management. 

Noise 

Water quality and management 

Water Framework Directive 

•  Ratify the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International 

Lakes (UNECE Water Convention). 

Floods Directive 

• 

FRMPs should provide details on how the FHRMs were used in the choice of measures and how to consider 
pluvial flooding. 

•  Better explain the choice and implementation of flood prevention and protection measures (prioritisation, 

monitoring, costs of measures). 
Improve public consultation and stakeholder involvement. 

• 

Drinking Water Directive 

• 

Take actions to ensure full compliance with the Drinking Water Directive. 

Nitrates Directive 

• 

Tackle nutrients pollution, especially nitrates from agriculture, through the implementation of the Nitrates 
Directive. 

Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 

• 

Take  the  necessary  measures  to  ensure  full  implementation  of  the  current  Urban  Wastewater  Treatment 
Directive, taking into account the new requirements of the recast directive. 

Chemicals 

•  Upgrade the administrative capacities in implementation and enforcement towards a policy of zero tolerance 

• 

• 

• 

of non-compliance. 
Increase  involvement  in  the  activities  of  the  Forum  for  Exchange  of  Information  on  Enforcement  of  the 
European Chemicals Agency, including in the coordinated enforcement projects, called REFs. 
Increase customs  controls and  controls of products sold online  with regard to compliance with  chemicals 
legislations. 

Climate action 

Implement  all  polices  and  measures  that  are  needed  to  achieve  targets  laid  down  in  the  Effort  Sharing 
Regulation (ESR) and the Land Use and Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation. More detailed 
priority actions are set out in the assessment of the final National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland 

 
 
Ireland  59 

Financing 

•  Use  more  national  funding  (for  instance  by  increasing  taxes  in  favour  of  the  environment  and  reducing 
environmentally harmful subsidies), EU funding and private funding to help close the investment gap. 
Environmental governance 
Information, public participation and access to justice 

• 

•  Make spatial data more widely accessible and prioritise environmental datasets in the implementation of the 
Inspire Directive, especially those identified as high-value spatial datasets for implementing environmental 
legislation. 
Ensure that relevant information on EIA and SEA procedures (including on public participation opportunities 
and on publication of final decisions) is electronically accessible in a timely manner, through at least a central 
portal or easily accessible points of access, at the appropriate administrative level. Provide information on 
the average duration of all steps in the EIA process. 
Ensure correct transposition of the revised EIA Directive. 

• 
•  Ratify the amendment to the UNECE Convention on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment and 

• 

• 

• 

the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment. 
Improve access to courts in national environmental cases by the public concerned and eliminate practical 
barriers, such as length of proceedings and excessive costs. 

Compliance assurance 

Encourage the use of training programmes provided by the Commission (or developed at the national level) 
covering the ELD and its interactions with the other national liability-related instruments, to ensure more 
efficient  ELD  implementation,  improve  the  expertise  of  the  competent  authorities  and  raise  awareness 
among all stakeholder groups. 

EU-supported environmental capacity building 

Improve  overall  national  environmental  governance,  in  particular  administrative  capacity  to  support  the 
green transition and coordination at the regional and local levels. 

2025 Environmental Implementation Review – Ireland