The EU took Ireland to court for a second time Wednesday in a long-standing row over countryside protection, seeking back-dated fines already worth more than three millions euros.
The fight revolves around Dublin not adopting EU legislation to protect countryside heritage, despite the European Court of Justice ruling it must do so back in November 2008.
The European Commission is asking the EU's highest court in Luxembourg to impose a fine of 4,000 euros per day going back to the first ruling — and 33,000 euros per day from whenever a new ruling is issued,
The argument centres on when environmental impact assessments are required where rural land restructuring or irrigation and drainage-type projects are being proposed.
Brussels said the failure to adopt EU norms "led to loss of wetlands and other habitats and the destruction of archaeological remains."
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