Environment JC 23 February 2001
Environment Sector
Belle Isle Estate, Fermanagh, Friday 23 February 2001
Joint Communiqué
1. The third meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in its Environment Sectoral Format was held in Belle Isle Estate, Fermanagh on Friday 23 February, 2001. The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by Mr Sam Foster, MLA, Minister of the Environment, who chaired the meeting, and Mr Mark Durkan , MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel. The Irish Government was represented by Mr Noel Dempsey, T.D., Minister for the Environment and Local Government.
2. The meeting dealt with issues relating to enhanced co-operation in environmental matters. Both sides reiterated the importance of the role of the Council in furthering synergies in this vital sector and looked forward to continued progress to mutual benefit.
Establishment of a Joint Register of Current Environmental Research Projects
3. The NSMC received a report which set out the current position on the development of a Joint Register of Environmental Research Projects. The Council noted the progress to date in the joint collaboration by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) in tendering for a jointly funded contract to develop an interactive website of current environmental research.
Working Group on Water Quality
4. At the first meeting of the NSMC in its Environment Sector in Belfast on 28 June, 2000, the Council authorised the establishment of a Working Group on Water Quality to consider certain matters regarding:
- water quality strategies in relation to the Erne and catchments; and
- implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).
The Working Group commissioned consultants Kirk, McClure, Morton ( KMM) Consultant Engineers to provide a report on:
- the implementation of the Erne/catchment management strategies proposed in 1997/98; and
- to make recommendations on the technical requirements for implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
At to-day's meeting Dr Alan Barr from KMM made a short presentation to the Council setting out the main findings and recommendations of their report. The NSMC noted the report presented, endorsed the work undertaken so far by the Working Group on Water Quality and requested the Working Group to continue the effective development of its work and to report to the Council on progress on an ongoing basis.
New Technologies for Monitoring
5. The Ministers approved for publication and placing on the revelant agency websites a joint report on "New Technologies for Monitoring" prepared jointly by the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). At the second meeting of the NSMC in its Environment Sector in Navan on 23 October, 2000, the Council agreed that co-operation on new technologies for monitoring should be pursued, in the first instance, in relation to the aquatic environment and concentrate initially on the following three areas:
- Chemical monitoring of surface waters,
- Biological monitoring of surface waters,
- Fish Stocks.
In view of the close associations of the above areas with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive the Ministers endorsed the proposals that co-operation on new technologies for monitoring should be referred to the Working Group on Water Quality to advance work in respect of the three selected areas and that methodological aspects be advanced in the context of work in relation to implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
Development of Environmental Databases
6. At the second meeting of the NSMC in its Environment Sector in Navan on 23 October, 2000, the Ministers agreed that a database development and co-operation programme should be taken forward on a progressive basis by the EPA and the EHS with particular emphasis on:
- examination of the options for completing the CORINE Land Cover Project 2000 on an all-island basis, with appropriate co-operation with the UK;
- development and integration of a number of key databases (e.g. river water quality, air quality, groundwater, register of environmental data sources) and sharing of knowledge, experiences and methodologies to this end; and
- development of a joint internet portal providing access and information on environmentally related data.
The Ministers welcomed the progress being made on developing environmental databases. The Council noted that the UK Government had negotiated terms with the European Environment Agency to convert its Land Cover Map 2000 to Corine 2000 but that work on this would not begin until mid 2001 at the earliest. The Council also approved the following proposals:
- that co-operation on Environmental Databases should begin with agreement on suitable frameworks for a register of environmental data sources and then plan to develop the register through a phased approach; and
- that a decision on the optional arrangements for providing customer access through the internet be deferred until the register of environmental data sources and a metadata partnership network have been established.
Co-Operation on Environmental Impacts of Agriculture
7. At the second sectoral meeting of the NSMC in Navan on 23 October, 2000, the Ministers agreed that a scoping study, including an inventory of revelant environmental management practices and controls currently applied to Agriculture, North and South, be undertaken. It is intended that the study will be commissioned on a joint basis by the DOE and DOELG. The project will be supervised by a steering group of representatives from the relevant Departments and Agencies, North and South. At to-day's meeting, the Council noted the progress made since endorsing the study and approved the proposed approach and terms of reference. The Ministers said they looked forward to receiving the final report at an early stage.
Review and Development of Work Programme
8. The NSMC noted the progress to date on environmental co-operation and endorsed proposals for officials to work together to identify options to encourage the expansion of waste recycling in Ireland, North and South, in particular a joint approach to market and manufacturing development for secondary materials and recyclates.
Date of Next Meeting
9. The Council agreed that the next meeting in this sectoral format will take place in the South in June 2001.
Joint Secretariat
23 February 2001