Ireland is likely to miss its renewable energy targets for 2020, resulting in hefty fines - Irish Times, 2015.I came across this article today and it struck me as another good example of how judgements made by the European Court of Justice are simply ignored by Member States - in this case, France. Too often we peasants are threatened by our political class with fines from our European masters. But if France don't bother complying with ECJ rulings, then why should Ireland, or anyone else for that matter ?
There are good reasons to believe that France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain and the UK will miss their 2020 targets. The bogeyman of EU fines should not be used to force the people of Ireland to accept short term, hasty and poorly thought out decisions on energy.
References
Likelihood of Member States meeting their 2020 targets :
See pages 78-79 of EPAW submission - http://westcorkwind.com/images/Adobe/EPAW_N-S.pdf
I wonder are they still charging the tax this year, or is the row only about taxes already paid and where a refund is sought. It;s the same in Ireland with the Vehicle Registration Tax. Its still being charged at a higher level than neighbouring countries
ReplyDeleteOn the broader aspect of this, a more fundamental question arises. I can assure readers that under the old British law which is the basis of Irish law, US, Australian, New Zealand law and a few other places where the British tramped around in red coats, the law meant what it said. There was a maxim, the law never speaks but to command, not command but where it can compel. There was no overlapping and if one statute repealed a previous one, there was a commencement date for that to happen. EU law does not appear to work that way.
ReplyDeleteFor example a visiting motorist is exempt from having motor insurance in Ireland and there is a visiting motorist bureau to pay claims from their negligence causing accidents. Yet I frequently read in the paper where motorists from Northern Ireland are convicted of driving without insurance here. EU law is not obeyed. So if EU law is administered "al la carte" (according to the menu) it only applies to the state. Such a legal system is alien to Irish judges, lawyers and citizens and it has already cost some dearly as they take cases on wind farms to Judicial Review and lose because of the take it or leave it nature of EU law. This will eventually destroy business and contracts law and damage democracy of freedom.