Friends of the Irish Environment appeal prompts EU referral

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Friends of the Irish Environment’s appeal over environmental assessment of Project Ireland 2040 led the Supreme Court to refer questions to the EU court, as reported on 9 November 2022.

The seven-judge court referred three questions about the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, including whether the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan fall within its scope.

The referral also asks how reasonable alternatives must be environmentally assessed; the group’s appeal seeks to quash the Government’s development programme.