International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

ecommendation to do so in 2003 via the Communication on Integrated Public
Policy. 1077
Ireland’s National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 states the following with
regards to procurement,
857
“The Government will publish its Action Plan for Green Public Procurement in
2007” 1078
Despite this claim, Ireland has started work on their draft national action plan but to
date their current Green Public Procurement relevant legislation is:
� Green Government Guide (1996) which recommends green public
purchasing; and
� Policy Statement on Recycling and Preventing Waste (2002) which
recommend use of recycled and recyclable materials in GPP. 1079
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s website has a
small section on GPP located on the ‘Sustainable Development’ webpage. 1080 The
text is copied into Box 1 below and highlights the need for national legislation to be
developed. The national government cannot rely upon local authorities to adopt, and
take forward, European Guidelines. There is likely to be a need for leadership, and
possibly, binding targets, alongside information to guide central government, its
agencies and local authorities to demonstrate how implementation of GPP can be
made straightforward, and how to realise the benefits of GPP.
In order to confirm the Department’s commitment to green procurement the following
two questions, and subsequent answers, were put to the Minister for the
Environment:
1. Q: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and
Local Government the reason Ireland has not adopted a national action
plan for green public procurement despite the fact that such a plan was
required to be adopted by the end of 2006; and if he will make a
statement on the matter.
1077 European Commission (2008) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament,
the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Public
Procurement for a Better Environment Impact Assessment, Available:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/pdf/sec_2008_2124_EN.pdf
1078 Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (2007) Ireland: National Climate
Change Strategy 2007 – 2012, Available:
http://www.environ.ie/en/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,1861,en.pdf
1079 European Commission (2008) Guide to National GPP Policies and Guidelines, Available:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/pdf/national_gpp_strategies_en.pdf
1080 Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (2009) Sustainable Development
web page, Available: http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes