Ireland referred to European court over turf cutting

Ireland has been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to protect sites designated for raised bog and blanket bog habitats from turf cutting.

The move could ultimately result in greater restrictions on turf cutting on bogs in the region.

The Commission today said the Habitats Directive requires Member States to designate their most precious natural habitats and to protect them from harmful activities.

It said: “These sites in Ireland continue to be degraded through drainage and turf cutting activities, and insufficient action is being taken to restore the sites.”

The issue has been ongoing since 2011. In January of that year, the Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Ireland in January 2011, followed by a reasoned opinion in June 2011.

The Commission sent an additional reasoned opinion in September last and now considered that efforts by the Irish authorities have, to date, been insufficient and is therefore referring Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Today it said: “Despite some progress, the Irish authorities have not fully addressed the shortcomings. For instance, whilst some restoration work has been undertaken on raised bog sites, no action has been taken regarding blanket bog sites where Ireland has failed to put in place an effective regulatory regime to protect these unique bog sites.”

The Commission said: “The European Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 indicate that it is crucial for the EU to halt biodiversity loss by protecting and restoring biodiversity. Ireland hosts some of the most unique active raised bog sites in the EU as well as large areas of still active blanket bog.

“Their protection and restoration could assist Ireland in meeting its climate change goals, not only by keeping healthy peat in the ground but also avoiding emissions when peat is burnt as a fuel. While traditionally families cut peat by hand, cutting today is done by machine resulting in additional damage to the structure of these sites. Digging and drainage fundamentally undermines their hydrology making restoration challenging. Ireland must redouble its efforts to move turf cutting machines away from these sites before the damage done makes restoration impossible.”