Environmental Pillar

Lobbying Organisation Environmental Pillar

Date published 16 Jan, 2018

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Environment

Period 1 Sep, 2017 to 31 Dec, 2017

Specific Details Continued Cooperation and No Regulatory Divergence re the Environment from Brexit.

Intended results provisions guaranteeing the avoidance of future regulatory divergence in relation to all matters covered by the EU environmental acquis.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Michael Ewing

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Dear Taoiseach Please see attached a joint letter from Northern Ireland Environment Link and the Environmental Pillar to M. Barnier of the Taskforce on Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom. In the letter we reiterate our shared concerns regarding the potentially serious implications of the UK’s decision to withdraw from the single market and customs union for North South environmental cooperation and regulation. Both networks strongly welcome the European Commission’s recognition of the need to protect this cooperation as part of the Withdrawal Agreement. They reiterate their view that this will require specific provisions guaranteeing the avoidance of future regulatory divergence in relation to all matters covered by the EU environmental acquis. We urge you, and the Government as a whole, to stand firm on the need for a continuation of a regulatory level playing field and cooperation with regard to the environment on the single bio-geographic unit that is the island o

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Josepha Madigan Minister (Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht)

Denis Naughten Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Eoghan Murphy Minister (Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government)