Latest news with #EU-mandated
Irish Examiner
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: It's Catastrophicto be going backwards on climate targets
The figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are grounds for concern for anyone worried by the climate crisis. The agency says that Ireland has 'moved backwards' when it comes to our goal of reducing carbon emissions by 51% by 2030, as the latest statistics show the country is on course for a maximum reduction of 23%. That percentage makes a stark comparison with a predicted reduction of 29% made just 12 months ago. This is a terrible indictment of our performance. It is bad enough not to reach targets, which were set to help us combat the greatest existential threat which faces humanity, but to go backwards — as stated by the EPA — is catastrophic. The best that can be said about these figures is that they expose our lack of commitment and bring some reality to this situation. We may be making all the right noises and gestures, but clearly substantive progress is not being achieved: Going by these figures, the situation is getting worse. If 'lack of commitment' sounds excessive, readers should consider the contribution of environment minister Darragh O'Brien. He said the EPA figures 'are a clear signal that, while we've made real progress, we need to move faster to meet our 2030 climate targets'. It beggars belief that any politician would attempt to describe the EPA figures as a sign of progress, yet here we are. The bad news does not end there: We are also set to miss EU-mandated carbon targets for 2030 by a massive margin. That could result in fines of tens of billions of euro for failing to match the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation, which penalises member states not doing their fair share in terms of climate action. It is long past time we treated this crisis with the urgency it deserves before it is too late. However, if missing our emissions targets and owing billions in fines doesn't motivate us to act, what will? State bodies hid and deflected Earlier this week, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan apologised to the O'Farrell family in the Dáil. It was a long-awaited day of vindication for the O'Farrell family, who have spent almost 15 years fighting for justice for their son and brother Shane — who was knocked down and killed near Carrickmacross, Monaghan, in August 2011. Shane O'Farrell was struck in a hit-and-run incident by a car driven by Zigimantas Gridziuska. Lithuanian Gridziuska was a repeat criminal who had committed a series of offences while on bail. A year before the hit-and-run incident, he was given a prison sentence which he did not serve. When the O'Farrells started investigating, they found that Gridziuska appeared to be committing crimes all over Ireland with apparent impunity. In the 18 months before the hit-and-run incident, he committed approximately 30 offences, with Lucia O'Farrell, Shane's mother, saying: 'He seemed to be in every court walking in and out ... He seemed to get fines, get the benefit of the Probation Act, community service, and then he'd get full temporary release, and re-offend. He could do what he liked, bail had no legal meaning for him.' The failure of the legal system to deal with this offender is a shocking indictment of that system, but there is a lesson here which goes beyond criminals ignoring the courts. In their years fighting for Shane, the O'Farrell family were treated shamefully by the State. The family requested information from bodies as various as the Department of Justice, the Courts Service, the Prison Service, and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, but they described their treatment as 'abusive and disrespectful ... What followed was stonewalling by State agencies who adopted deflection, evasiveness, and most importantly, a deliberate lack of completeness and transparency. We learned of Gridziuska's criminal past from our own efforts, not from the State'. It is disgraceful that State bodies would treat citizens in this manner. Those responsible for protecting their institutions rather than aiding fellow citizens should face disciplinary action for their treatment of the O'Farrell family. Unfair play It may be a week and a half away but the excitement is building for the Munster hurling final, one of the highlights of the Irish sporting summer. This year, Cork take on Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds, a mouthwatering clash expected to sell out when tickets go on sale. However, supporters are swallowing hard at the ticket prices — €50 for stand, €40 for terrace, and €10 for U16s, with €5 concession for students and OAPs. That is a €5 increase on stand, terrace, and juvenile prices from last year's final. In 2023, stand admission was €40 and terrace €30 for that year's provincial final. That means a 25% hike in ticket prices in just two years, a staggering leap in cost. Given the huge following both Cork and Limerick have, and the near-guarantee that the venue will sell out, those supporters are entitled to feel their loyalty is being penalised here. As a comparison, stand tickets for the Munster football final between Kerry and Clare this year were €20 cheaper than their hurling equivalents. If the authorities were to reconsider and even freeze prices at the 2024 level, it would be a welcome gesture and an indication that the supporters' loyalty is something to be appreciated and not exploited. Read More Irish Examiner view: Our support for the people of Liverpool
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Climate experts call on Government to show 'greater ambition' on reducing carbon emissions
Climate experts have called on the Government to significantly ramp up its focus on meeting Ireland's carbon-reduction targets rather than risk spending the same money on massive EU fines at the end of the decade. New figures from the Environmental Protection Agency show that, at best, Ireland is set to miss its own greenhouse emissions targets by over 50% by 2030. More worrying for the Government, the report shows the country is also set to miss its 2030 EU-mandated carbon targets by a massive margin. It could result in fines worth tens of billions of euro falling upon Ireland for its failure to match the bloc's Effort Sharing Regulation, which penalises member states that are not doing their fair share in terms of climate action. 'Why would you not spend that money now to help citizens and the economy? Why would you instead send that money to overachieving states?' said Peter Thorne, professor in climate change at Maynooth University, in light of the EPA's findings. In effect we'll be sending billions of euro to Spain. And even then, after that we'll still have to reduce our emissions. 'We've got to see greater ambition and spending from Government,' said Prof. Thorne, acknowledging that the issue 'is not just one of Government'. 'We all have to show some ambition in terms of what we can do — in how we spend our money, our time, and what kind of world we want to give to our children.' EPA director general Laura Burke said the 'lack of progress' represented by the figures 'is concerning'. 'Momentum is building for Ireland's low-carbon society, but we need to accelerate it and scale up the transition,' she said. The report brings together metrics from across society and State departments to show which sections are performing reasonably well —renewables, electricity — and those which are doing poorly. Transport, industry, and building heating systems are the three worst sectors in terms of matching their targets. With regard to agricultural emissions — which are expected to reduce by 16% — the EPA said that nevertheless agricultural targets are 'no longer viable' due to the impact of updated science underpinning those assumptions. Emissions from the land sector are projected to increase by up to 95% by 2030, predominantly due to the maturing for harvesting of Ireland's forests. Hannah Daly, professor in sustainable energy at UCC, described the failure by Ireland to match its targets as 'a staggering missed opportunity' given the scale of EU fines which may follow. She said matching our obligations requires 'more than ambition' from the Government. 'It requires leadership, vast investment, and prioritising only truly sustainable economic growth,' said Prof. Daly. 'That means rapidly phasing out fossil fuels by prioritising renewables, electrification, and energy efficiency, and shifting away from an economic model overly reliant on fossil fuels and carbon-intensive agriculture.'
Irish Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on Ireland's wind energy: opportunity must not slip past
The issue of energy security has moved up the EU agenda since the Russian invasion of Ukraine cut off one of the bloc's main sources of oil and gas supplies. It was further underlined by the recent blackouts across Spain and Portugal , although the exact reasons for this unprecedented grid failure have yet to be established. Ireland, like most other countries, faces challenges in decarbonisation and energy security, yet also opportunities. The State has abundant access to coastal waters ideal for offshore wind – and as well as meeting domestic need has the possibility of becoming an energy exporter, even if a recent report from the National Economic and Social Council raised serious questions about this. The policy objective is to generate 37 gigawatts of electricity through offshore wind by 2050. To put this in context, it would be six times the current level of peak demand, which means that not only would Ireland become self-sufficient, it could also become an important source of green energy to the rest of the EU. Furthermore, if Ireland were to reach this target, it would be in compliance with its EU-mandated obligations to reduce its CO2 emissions. Failure to meet these targets will result in significant fine which could have major implications for the public finances. READ MORE But the consensus is that whatever about generating 37GW of offshore wind by 2050, Ireland is highly unlikely to reach the much more modest target of 5GW of offshore renewable energy by 2030. Progress is slow and, as the NESC has pointed out, there is no clarity on how it might be speeded up. This should not be the case. Ireland's only existing offshore wind energy project, the Arklow Bank Wind Park, will be dismantled over the coming months. It was developed by Airtricity 21 years ago. One of the reasons often cited at an official level for Ireland's overwhelming reliance on foreign direct investment is that the country lacked indigenous resources. This is not true of wind energy and when Airtricity, founded in Ireland, became a world leader in the development of the sector, it looked as if Ireland was on the cusp of a major breakthrough. However, there has been lamentable progress since Airtricity was sold in 2008 and that largely reflects policy failures at government level, despite lofty rhetoric. There is a great opportunity for Ireland. But for that to happen, a lot of issues, such as planning, infrastructure bottlenecks and investment must be addressed. The Government faces many challenges, not least a housing crisis. But it must also treat the issue of decarbonisation and energy security as a central goal. And come up with a plan to show that this is achievable and can deliver both for businesses and consumers.
The Print
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Print
US urges India to drop non-tariff barriers: An explainer
A list of Q&As (questions and answers) to explain these barriers and related issues: Q. What are non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in the international trade parlance? A. Non-tariff barriers are trade restrictions that do not involve tariffs (taxes or duties on imports or exports). These barriers impact the seamless movement of goods across global boundaries. It is essential to differentiate between non-tariff measures (NTMs) and NTBs. On April 22 in Jaipur, US Vice President JD Vance urged India to drop non-tariff barriers, give greater access to its markets. Indian products too face these issues in the international markets including in America, EU, China, Japan, and Korea. New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The US has on multiple times raised concerns over certain non-tariff barriers being faced by American goods in the Indian markets. Most NTMs are domestic rules created by countries with the aim to protect human, animal or plant health and the environment. NTM may be 'Technical' measures like regulations, standards, testing, certification, pre-shipment inspection or 'Non-Technical' measures like quotas, import licensing, subsidies, government procurement restrictions, etc. When NTMs become arbitrary, beyond scientific justification, they create hurdles for trade and are called NTBs. Q: How NTBs affect exporters or importers? A: These hurdles increase costs for traders. They may have to spend more to comply with destination country requirements such as mandatory certification, testing, or labelling. For example, an Indian agro product exporter might have to pay for EU-mandated laboratory tests for pesticide residues. Exporters sometimes need to redesign their products to meet technical standards or packaging rules in different countries. It also causes delays in the arrival of consignments and heightens uncertainties. Complicated procedures to do paperwork, licensing rules, or inspections at borders can slow down shipments. For example, exporters to some African countries face long port delays due to strict verification checks. Q: What kind of NTBs Indian exporters face? A: Many of India's food and agriculture products face problems due to higher pesticide levels, presence of pests and contamination due to foot and mouth disease. These lead to rejection of export consignments and compulsory Inspections before shipment. Q: What are the major categories of these barriers? A: Complex and expensive prior registration: Under this, companies intending to export have to first register with destination country authorities. Registration, in most cases requires physical submission of documents and payment of exorbitant fee. For example, to ship industrial products to China, a firm needs to register its product with the specified Chinese authority. This requires submitting a large number of documents, including details about the firm and its products. Unreasonable domestic standards/rules: If a country makes stringent standards and quality rules for foreign goods, it affects trade. For example, getting approval for exporting medicines to Japan is complex. Indian medicines must conform to Japanese pharmacopeia and registration takes a long time. Q: What are the major NTBs flagged by the US? A: According to the 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers of the US, India maintains various forms of non-tariff barriers such as banned or prohibited items that are denied entry into India (e.g., tallow, fat, and oils of animal origin); items that require a non-automatic import license (e.g., certain livestock products, pharmaceuticals, certain chemicals, certain IT products); and items that are importable only by government trading monopolies and are subject to cabinet approval regarding import timing and quantity (e.g., corn under a tariff-rate quota). The report also stated that India imposes Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) such as mandatory quality control orders, and compulsory domestic testing and certification requirements for equipment. For example, India imposes onerous requirements on dairy imports. India requires that dairy products intended for food be derived from animals that have not consumed feeds containing internal organs, blood meal, or tissues of ruminant or porcine origin and that exporting countries certify to these conditions, which lack a discernable animal health or human health justification. Q: What barriers has the US raised in the services sectors in India? A: According to the NTE, foreign investment in businesses in certain major services sectors, including financial services and retail, is subject to limitations on foreign equity, and foreign participation in professional services is significantly restricted. In addition, barriers to digital trade and electronic commerce, such as those imposed on electronic payment providers, have secondary effects on a wide variety of services. Q: What steps is India taking to help its exporters deal with NTBs? A: The government raised these issues during bilateral meetings with respective nations. The department of commerce is developing a platform for registering non-tariff barriers faced by exporters and taking up with the concerned countries for their resolution. PTI RR DR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Russia Today
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘Expel Soros agents' — Hungary issues list of demands to EU
Brussels should take decisive steps towards denying EU membership to Ukraine and ending the influence of foreign agents linked to billionaire George Soros on the bloc's policies, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated. He has called for the absolute national sovereignty of member states over domestic issues. In a post on X on Saturday, Orban urged Brussels to 'expel Soros agents' from the European Commission and 'remove corrupt lobbyists' from the European Parliament. The Hungarian prime minister has a long history of opposing foreign-funded organizations in his country, particularly those sponsored by Soros. Orban has repeatedly accused the Hungarian-American magnate of meddling in Hungary's domestic affairs, undermining traditional family values, and promoting a globalist agenda. Orban also called for 'a Union, but without Ukraine,' having demanded 'peace, freedom, and unity.' Budapest has strongly opposed the rapid acceptance of Ukraine into the EU, citing the potential harm to the bloc's economy. Kiev applied for membership shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022 and was granted candidate status within just three months. The demands voiced by Orban were included in a broader list that contained calls for protecting Europe's Christian heritage, banning 'the unnatural re-education of children,' eliminating debt, and establishing equality before the law for all members of the bloc. Orban emphasized that the Hungarian people expect Brussels to restore the competencies unlawfully taken from member states. He demanded 'national sovereignty' and the right to 'a strong veto for national governments.' He also urged the EU authorities to stop obstructing the Hungarian National Guard from protecting the country's borders. 'Do not bring in migrants, and remove those who have arrived illegally,' he wrote. Since the 2015 migrant crisis, Orban's government has taken tough measures to curb the influx of migrants, including building border fences along Hungary's southern borders with Serbia and Croatia and rejecting EU-mandated refugee quotas. These policies have triggered legal challenges, including a €200-million fine from the European Court of Justice last year for non-compliance with the bloc's asylum rules. Four years ago, Budapest updated child protection regulations to ban the promotion of LGBTQ topics in media, advertising, and educational materials accessible to minors. The move sparked outrage in Brussels, which launched legal action against Budapest, referred the case to the European Court of Justice, and froze billions in EU funds intended for Hungary over what it claimed were violations of fundamental human rights.
