The Council meets in the Environment Sector in order to make decisions on common policies and approaches in areas such as environmental protection, pollution, water quality management and waste management in a cross-border context.
The agreed work programme includes:
1. Environmental Research & Reporting
- Information sharing and collaboration on environmental research activities.
- The establishment of data bases of environmental information.
2. Environment Protection & Sustainable Development
- Current issues in relation to environmental protection and sustainable development and the interaction with other wider environmental issues, and the mutually beneficial ways to address these.
- Identification of strategies and activities which would contribute to a co-operative approach to the achievement of sustainable development.
3. Water and Wastewater Management
- The development of catchment-based strategies in relation to water quality.
- Encourage cooperation and knowledge sharing in relation to the environmental impact of agricultural activities and related issues.
- Promote co-operation and exchange information on marine/bathing/shellfish waters.
- Promote co-operation and collaboration on water and sewerage services areas including implementation of EU measures.
4. Waste Management in a Cross-Border context
- The scope for improved waste management in a cross-border context taking account of waste policy in the EU, the UK and Ireland including the promotion of a circular economy.
- Joint programme of enforcement and collaboration on tackling environmental crime.
5. EU Funding
- Promote co-operation with a view to maximising drawdown of EU funding.