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Peat bogs in the center of Ireland (Photo illustration). © Frédérique Lebel

The Court of Justice of the European Union has just sentenced Ireland to a fine of five million euros for failing to meet its environmental obligations.

From our correspondent in Dublin , Emeline Vin

The Court of Justice accuses Ireland of having built a wind farm without prior assessment of the consequences for the environment.

In 2003, Ireland launched the construction of a 70-wind farm in the west of the country near Galway without assessing the environmental impact of this project in this mountainous region. It is a European obligation.

During the works, the builders move around 500,000 cubic meters of peat. Consequence: in the months that follow, a landslide over 22 km kills 50 000 fish and pollutes the surrounding rivers. Since then, residents have also experienced record floods.

Legal complexities

In 2008, the Court of Justice asks Ireland to rectify the situation. Eleven years later, nothing has been done. Ireland invokes legal complexities to justify itself.

The Court ruled on Tuesday that she had been patient enough. In addition to the fine of 5 million euros, it condemns Dublin to pay 15,000 euros per day until the state complies with the directive. A severity justified by the seriousness and duration of the Irish breach. The government has not reacted yet.

►Also read: Ireland: Dublin region affected by a shortage of drinking water