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Decision on NI 'green' watchdog 'Green' watchdog for NI ruled out
(about 2 hours later)
A decision on whether Northern Ireland should have its own 'green' watchdog to protect its environment is to be made public later. Northern Ireland will not have an independent 'green' watchdog, Minister Arlene Foster has said.
Environment minister Arlene Foster is expected to announce whether she will remove control of green issues from government. Instead, the Environmental Heritage Service (EHS) will be rebranded, she told the Assembly on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland that does not have such an independent body. It will be reorganised and will be launched in July with the mission of protecting the built heritage and natural environment, she said.
Friends of the Earth warned it might go to the European Commission over this. Environmental campaigners, Friends of the Earth, warned they might go to the European Commission over the decision.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland that does not have an independent body.
"If Northern Ireland isn't prepared to take its own environment seriously, there is one body that will, that is the European Commission. They will enforce to the letter of the European law," John Woods, director of Friends of the Earth, said."If Northern Ireland isn't prepared to take its own environment seriously, there is one body that will, that is the European Commission. They will enforce to the letter of the European law," John Woods, director of Friends of the Earth, said.
"Far better we regulate ourselves, do it our way, in our own time and do it properly.""Far better we regulate ourselves, do it our way, in our own time and do it properly."
In February, NI politicians and members of the business community backed the call for an environmental protection agency to be set up.
The group would assume responsibility for the work currently performed by the DOE's Environment and Heritage Service.