The European Commission’s decision to refer Ireland to an EU court because of peat cutting projects is a "necessary and overdue step towards reversing biodiversity decline".

This is according to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC), which has welcomed the move.

The commission confirmed this week that it has decided to refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union, because it claims that the state has failed to "comply" with environmental rules governing "peat extraction projects".

'Years of concern'

The IPCC said the commission’s action "follows years of concern over the environmental damage caused by unregulated industrial peat extraction, damage that extends beyond the destruction of peatland habitats".

The IPCC warns that the impacts include "severe degradation of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, and wider ecosystems, undermining national efforts to address the climate and biodiversity emergency declared by the government in 2019".

Tristram Whyte, policy officer for the IPCC, said: "Industrial peat extraction continues to operate without environmental oversight, and the consequences are felt across our landscapes and waterways.

“Seven years after Ireland formally recognised the climate and biodiversity emergency, we are still allowing unregulated industrial mining to proceed, despite its well‑documented environmental impacts.

The IPCC addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy in December 2025, where the organisation presented evidence of ongoing illegal peat extraction and its ecological consequences.

Following that hearing, the committee issued 13 recommendations to government aimed at strengthening enforcement, restoring damaged peatlands, and ensuring compliance with EU environmental law.

'Pivotal moment'

The IPCC is now calling on the government to "urgently implement" these recommendations, emphasising that meaningful action is essential to reverse decades of habitat loss, protect water quality, and meet Ireland’s climate obligations.

“This is a pivotal moment," Tristram Whyte added.

“Ireland must demonstrate that it takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.

"Implementing the committee’s recommendations and enforcing existing environmental law are critical steps toward safeguarding our peatlands and the biodiversity they support."