Environment Joint Communiqué 21 October 2011

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1. The thirteenth North South Ministerial Council Environment meeting was held in NSMC Joint Secretariat Offices, Armagh on 21 October 2011. The meeting was attended by Alex Attwood MLA, Minister of the Environment, and Danny Kennedy MLA, Minister for Regional Development and Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Minister Attwood chaired the meeting.

2. The Council welcomed the ongoing developments in waste management and welcomed the closer working relationship between Departments to align policies, where appropriate, in areas of mutual benefit.

3. Ministers received  presentations on the arrangements for dealing with food waste including organic waste.

4. The Council noted that Environment Ministers jointly launched the “Irish Recycled Plastic Waste Arisings Study” in September which the North South Market Development Steering Group will now consider.  

5. The recent publication of a tender for a bulky waste reuse management best practice study and the first meeting of the quality protocols sub-group was also noted.

6. Ministers also welcomed ongoing progress towards implementing the EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC).

7. The Council also noted that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government’s (DECLG) is willing to engage with Department of Environment (DOE) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to consider the present restrictions in the UK Plan in relation to cross-border Transfrontier Shipment of Waste movements of mixed Municipal Solid Waste from Northern Ireland to Ireland.

8. The Council welcomed the ongoing co-operation and sharing of experience between the Department of Environment and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in the development of DOE’s Carrier Bag Levy project.

9. The Council noted that that the removal of waste from a site at Ballymartin, Kilkeel, is nearing completion and that work is anticipated to commence on a further site if possible later this year. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is continuing to develop plans to deal with the remaining illegal waste sites and is working closely with its counterparts in Dublin City Council.  Ministers discussed and commended joint enforcement actions being conducted by the competent authorities.

10. Ministers noted that the North South Working Group on Water Quality is considering a range of water quality issues including; abstraction and impoundment controls; nitrates; shellfish waters; bathing waters; the scope for all island Beach Awards; and Interreg IVA projects with a view to formulation of a work programme for agreement at a future meeting.

11. The Council noted that the North South Working Group on Water Quality is continuing to drive and oversee co-ordinated implementation of River Basin Management Plans and associated measures under the EU Water Framework Directive.

12. Ministers welcomed ongoing work on a common set of environmental indicators including web-based presentation and the planned publication of ‘Ireland North and South: A Statistical Profile’.

13. The Council noted progress by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Environmental Protection Agency in taking forward joint actions on research to support implementation of environmental policy and legislation and welcomed further co-operation in supporting researchers seeking European funding for priority environmental research under the EU FP7, Interreg and LIFE+ programmes.

14. The Council agreed to hold the next Environment meeting in February 2012.