Ireland has third worst record on EU directives

Ireland has the third worst record of the EU's 15 member-states when it comes to passing EU directives into domestic law.

The EU's Internal Market Scoreboard, published in May, revealed that Italy had the worst record, with 59 EU directives not transposed within the allotted timeframe. Portugal was next on 57, with Ireland third on 54.

The report, which went unreported in Ireland, only examined trade-related EU directives, which account for half the total.

The Irish Government said at the beginning of this year there were 98 outstanding directives.

The Internal Market Scoreboard also revealed Ireland's record of transposing directives on time was getting even worse.

In the six months since the previous report was published, our backlog had grown by 16 directives. Only Italy did worse, adding 21 directives to its backlog. A number of states had significantly decreased their backlog in the period.

The report warned the failure of member-states to transpose directives on time had a serious effect on the EU.

"It leaves a void in the regulatory framework, which disrupts business, deprives citizens of their rights and undermines confidence in the European Union.

"The Commission's report on the functioning of product and capital markets identified slow implementation as one of the Union's main handicaps in achieving its objective of becoming the most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010."

It identified some key directives which had not been transposed in Ireland, despite being more than two years overdue.

Our failure to transpose one such directive on the "protection of personal data" would lead to the "potential to abuse data" and "hampers the free flow of information".

Another relating to the "practice of the profession of lawyer on a permanent basis". A third directive on "transportable pressure equipment....frustrates trade in these products" and created "potential safety risks".

Last week the EU sent three final warnings to the Government on environmental directives that the Government has failed to pass into Irish law. The directives related to wild birds and special conservation areas.

The Green Party yesterday said the Government was disregarding EU rules which were vital to protecting the environment.

The final warnings followed a ruling last year against Ireland on the directives at the European Court of Justice.

The Minister of State for Europe, Mr Dick Roche, yesterday told The Irish Times Ireland's poor record on transposition would be corrected before our term as EU President begins in January.

At that stage there would be around 35 directives not transposed. That would rate Ireland's record about midway in the European rankings.

Before the EU Presidency ends next June it is hoped Ireland will have less than 15 outstanding directives, bringing us close to best practice.