Committee Reports::Report - Review of EU Legislation::01 March, 2000::Appendix


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Appendix II

Summary of Statutory Instruments considered January - March 1999

APPENDIX A

Regulations made under the European Communities Acts, 1972 to 1995

No.

Title

S.I No.

Dept.

Subject matter of Legislation

Implications

Recommendation

30/12/98

European Communities (Registration of Persons Sailing on board Passenger Ships) Regulations, 1998

558/98

Marine and Natural Resources

Implements Directive 98/41 the objective of which is to enhance the safety and possibility of rescue of passengers and crew on board passenger ships operating to or from Member states and to ensure that search and rescue in the aftermath of any accident which may occur can be dealt with more effectively.

The regulations provide for the counting of ship passengers; their identification by surname, initial and sex. It provides for the notification of the master of the ship of the numbers on board and it places an obligation on the master to ensure that ship does not sail with numbers exceeding permitted levels. The obligations apply to third country vessels embarking from Irish ports.

It is an enhanced safety measure and is to be welcomed. The Estonia accident was the main reason for the directive.

Ireland already had an obligation on a ship’s master to ensure that permitted number levels were not exceeded. This was done following the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.

The Joint Committee might wish to consider this area.

The issue of safety of life at sea and strict passenger numbers control is important.

10 April 1999

ClassIREGS

APPENDIX B

Regulations not recommended for detailed examination by the Joint Committee

Date	Title	S.I. No.	Dept.	Effects/Implications
30/11/98	European Communities (Dangerous Substances and Preparations) (Marketing and Use) Regulations, 1998	462/98	Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Consolidation and updating of 18 Directives.Effect is to prohibit, or restrict to certain uses or allow subject to labelling, of dangerous substances. Highly technical. No problems for Irish industry.
03/12/98	European Communities (Official Control of Foodstuffs) (Approved Examiners) Order, 1998	465/98	Health	Purely technical. Defines examiners for the purpose of analysing samples.
04/12/98	European Communities (Natural Mineral Waters) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998	461/98	Health	The objective of Directive 80/777 was to protect the health of the consumer; to prevent consumers from being misled and to ensure fair trading. Directive 96/70 was necessary to (a) take account of technical progress (b) clarify circumstances in which ozone-enriched air could be permitted in order to separate unstable elements (c) to make it compulsory to provide statements of the analytical composition of the mineral water and (d) to include new provisions for the treatment, labelling and microbiological requirements for spring waters. Bottled Waters Association consulted - no major problems but some minor problems.
17/12/98	European Communities (Interruption of Certain Economic Relations with Angola) Regulations, 1998	503/98	Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Technical. Gives legal effect to decision already taken.
21/12/98	European Communities (Units of Measurement) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998	510/98	Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Extends, to 30/06/2001, date by which road distance and speed signage must be converted to metric. Done at request of DOE to give LA’s more time.
22/12/98	European Communities (Classification, Packaging, Labelling and Notification of Dangerous Substances) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1998	513/98	Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Extends list [approx. 3000 items] of dangerous substances which must be labelled. Glass, slag and rock mineral wools now classed as carcinogens.
23/12/98	European Communities (Purity Criteria on Food Additives other than Colours and Sweeteners) Regulations, 1998	541/98	Health	They establish new purity criteria for preservatives and antioxidants. They specify the allowable additives which comply with purity criteria. They provide for powers of entry and inspection of premises and for offences and penalties.
23/12/98	European Communities (Marine Equipment) Regulations, 1998	545/98	Marine and Natural Resources	The regulation provides for uniform standards across all Member States. It enhances safety. There are no Irish industrial implications.
30/12/98	European Communities (Fishing Vessel Safety) Regulations, 1998	549/98	Marine and Natural Resources	Harmonises standards for fishing vessels of 25 metres + across Member States. This issue was discussed in detail by the Fishing Vessel Review Group and the industry was involved in that Group. Irish vessels of this size are mostly modern and would not have compliance problems. Certain minimum standards exist for vessels below this size.
30/12/98	European Communities (Merchant Shipping) (Port State Control) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998	557/98	Marine and Natural Resources	The objective of Port State Control is to drastically reduce substandard shipping in the waters of Member States by inspection of 25% of vessels entering their ports each year. The regulation updates the requirements, alters the selection criteria for inspection and provides power to detain vessels not carrying Safety Management Certificates. Enhances safety.
30/12/98	European Communities (Pesticide Residues) (Fruit and Vegetables) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998	563/98	Agriculture and Food	These Regulations extend the scope of the Regulations fixing maximum residue levels (MRLs) in fruit and vegetables to include dried and/or processed products and composite foodstuffs and foodstuffs intended for export to third countries. This enhances consumer safety.
30/12/98	European Communities (Pesticide Residues) (Products of Plant Origin, including Fruit and Vegetables) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1998	564/98	Agriculture and Food	The EU objective is to control the use of pesticides by setting maximum residue levels at levels which are safe to the consumer.
30/12/98	European Communities (Pesticide Residues) (Cereals) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1998	565/98	Agriculture and Food
30/12/98	European Communities (Pesticide Residues) (Foodstuffs of Animal Origin) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998	566/98	Agriculture and Food
18/01/99	European Communities (Minimum measures for the control of certain diseases affecting bivalve molluscs) Regulations, 1999	26/99	Marine and Natural Resources	This relates to muscles/oysters/clams/cockles whose feeding methods make them prone to disease. Ingestion, by these species, of toxic substances can destroy the industry and cause serious health problems for those who consume the contaminated molluscs. A most desirable regulation for these reasons.
11/02/99	European Communities (Introduction of Organisms harmful to Plants or Plant Products( (Prohibition) (Temporary Provisions) Regulations, 1999	38/99	Agriculture and Food	They prohibit the introduction into the State of potatoes originating in the Netherlands not meeting the requirements of 95/506. Importers of Dutch potatoes must give advance notification; the potatoes must be sampled and found free of brown rot disease.
15/02/99	European Communities (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999	50/99	Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Implement directive 95/26 which requires auditors of UCITS to report to the Central Bank breaches of the laws or administrative provisions relating to UCITS.
19/02/99	European Communities (Motor Vehicles Type Approval) Regulations, 1999	49/99	Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Technical amendment providing for more strict standards of emissions from exhaust components of motor vehicle components. No industrial implications for Ireland
19/02/99	European Communities (Introduction of Organisms Harmful to Plants or Plant Products) (Prohibition) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999	53/99	Agriculture and Food	Extends expiry date for Ireland’s protected zone status in respect of the harmful organism Erwinia amylovora - known as fireblight - a danger to apple and pear trees. The regulation prevents plant imports which could spread the disease.

• Highlighting of subject matter done to facilitate ready identification by Committee

10 April 1999