Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

449 Chapter 16: Environmental Policy Implementation and Performance As at 4 July 2024, there was one water-related CJEU case open against Ireland, relating to: ■ failure to ensure correct implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. There was also one open infringement procedure against Ireland, relating to: ■ failure to comply with the parametric limit for trihalomethanes in some drinking water supplies. In terms of marine waters, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires Member States to achieve or maintain ‘good environmental status’ in the marine environment by 2020, while the Maritime Spatial Plan Directive is responsible for establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive Programme of Measures sets out 25 binding environmental targets and associated methodological standards for achieving good environmental status. At a national level, the government published Ireland’s first National Marine Planning Framework in June 2021 (DHLGH, 2021). In addition, a new marine regulatory structure has been put in place in Ireland with the establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) in July 2023. MARA’s remit includes granting marine consents for the maritime area, licensing of specific maritime activities and the administration of existing foreshore consents. The priority actions for Ireland on water, identified in the Commission’s EIR 2022, are listed in Topic Box 16.4. Topic Box 16.4  Priority actions for Ireland on water (EC, 2022) ■ Assess new physical modifications of water bodies in line with Article 4(7) of the Water Framework Directive. In these assessments alternative options and adequate mitigation measures have to be considered. ■ Maintain efforts to reduce diffuse nutrient pollution and to address hydromorphological pressures. ■ Maintain efforts to improve monitoring, in particular of hydromorphological conditions, priority substances and groundwater quantity. ■ Urgently ensure appropriate controls over water abstraction and hydromorphological changes in compliance with the Water Framework Directive. ■ Improve the coordination of the implementation of water, marine and nature policies. ■ Review the action programme regarding the high nutrients phosphorous surplus and continue to follow up on the monitoring of hotspot areas that show increasing nitrate concentrations. ■ Complete implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for all agglomerations, by building up the necessary infrastructure.