European Diary: The EU agenda turned to the environment last week as ministers gathered in Brussels to debate the threat posed to the planet by global warming and climate change.
A five-year assessment on the state of Europe by the European Environment Agency didn't pull its punches. Dire warnings of catastrophic changes in weather patterns, extinction of species and rising sea levels dominated the headlines.
The Republic was targeted in the report as one of the worst performers, missing targets in key areas such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and municipal waste, leaving environment minister Dick Roche a little hot under the collar in the media spotlight.
Mr Roche, who flew to Brussels on Friday for the environment council, met the head of the agency to voice his concerns about what he described as a "skewed report".
Its presentation was too narrowly focused, didn't take proper account of Ireland's fast-growing economy or its culture, Mr Roche said after discussing the 582-page report over lunch with other EU environment ministers.
However, not all member states criticised in the report shot the messenger. Spanish environment minister Cristina Narbona admitted that the country's greenhouse gas emissions, up more than 40 per cent in 15 years, were an embarrassment. "We're all a bit ashamed - much more needs to be done," she said, while floating ideas such as new ecological taxes, hikes in electricity prices and a cultural revolution in the way people use energy.
There was no such introspection at the Department of Environment, which regularly crosses swords with the EU over Ireland's poor record on the environment. For example, in July 2004 the European Commission launched seven legal actions against Ireland at the European Court of Justice. Five were for breaching directives on habitats, sewage treatment, water pollution, wild birds and waste management, and two related to non-compliance with previous rulings. In the 10 years leading up to those actions the court ruled against the Republic in nine environment cases.
Not a record to crow over, particularly when you consider this is a Government that rejected a carbon tax designed to cut greenhouse gases and allowed its emissions to balloon out of control. As the environment agency report noted, Ireland's CO2 emissions in 2003 were 25 per cent above 1990 levels, significantly above the 13 per cent limit set in the Kyoto Protocol.
The state of Europe's environment and the "blame game" will be centre stage in Brussels this month as EU fishery ministers meet to agree the 2006 fishing quotas. The commission last week proposed a 15 per cent cut in the fishing quota for cod, haddock, whiting, plaice and herring in Irish waters to conserve stocks.
Ernesto Penas, head of the commission's fish stock management unit, said that stocks of cod to the north of Ireland and close to Scotland are now at "catastrophic levels". The situation for cod in the Irish Sea is also "very bad" requiring the steepest possible cut in 2006 fish quotas, he said.
Next year's proposed cut to the cod quota was decided upon in the absence of accurate scientific information on stocks, which are now so low in some Irish waters they are extremely difficult to measure. A larger cut in the cod quota is probably justified but is not possible under a recovery plan agreed by EU states last year.
Nonetheless, a 15 per cent cut in the 2006 quota would offer some respite for the humble cod. But the problem is, this cut is only a proposal by the commission, which will be disputed over the coming weeks by member states with strong fishing lobbies. Ireland will play its part, particularly with Fianna Fáil having promised fishermen during the 1997 election campaign to increase fish quotas.
Lobby groups representing the 5,000 full-time Irish fishermen have already accused the commission of "finger in the air management" over the proposed cut. Crucially, they also have the ear of the Government, which is obviously more sensitive to the needs of fishermen than cod. So on December 23rd when the quotas are finally decided, we will either see the proposed 15 per cent cut reduced or the minister delivering another tongue-lashing to the EU.