These Regulations carry into effect in Ireland Directive 2016/2284/EU of the European Parliament and the Council relating to national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants.
The Regulations provide that the Environment Protection Agency shall prepare an annual inventory report of emissions of 5 specified pollutants (sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH3), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)), and in certain years a report on projections of emissions. The Regulations require the Minister to ensure that emissions of the specified pollutants are limited in accordance with the ceilings set out in Schedule 2. The Regulations also require the preparation of a national air pollution control programme Referring, among other things, to the 1979 UNECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution), and the establishment of a network to monitor the negative impacts of air pollution upon ecosystems based on a network of monitoring sites that is representative of Ireland s freshwater, natural and semi-natural habitats and forest ecosystem types. The Programme shall contain elements on the use of nitrogen fertilizer and soil protection. In fulfilling the requirements of subparagraph (b) the Minister shall ensure coordination with other monitoring programmes established pursuant to Union legislation including Directive 2008/50/EC, Directive 2000/60/EC and Council Directive 92/43/EEC and, if appropriate, the LRTAP Convention and, where appropriate, make use of data collected under those programmes.