Green MEP Ms Patricia McKenna says she intends to press ahead with moves to establish Europe-wide coastal zone management, in spite of reservations expressed by some member-states.
A report by Ms McKenna was adopted by a large majority of MEPs at a first reading in the European Parliament last July. However, German and British reservations about the merit and ambit of the recommendation have influenced attempts by the European Council of Ministers to water down the initial proposal, Ms McKenna said.
The European Parliament's environment committee recently backed Ms McKenna's position. Her report recommends setting up an EU legal framework for integrated coastal zone management. "I believe that such threats as global warming are best tackled at EU-wide level," Ms McKenna says.
Meanwhile, Labour Party environment spokesman Mr Eamon Gilmore called on the Government to "come clean" on its coastline policy. He said the Government appeared to have no coherent policy and was content to see "piecemeal, unplanned" construction. The Labour Party had proposed limitations on development within one kilometre of the coast, but these had been criticised by Minister of State for Rural Development Mr ╔amon ╙ Cuiv.