Applicant had no standing in Irish or EU law to challenge emissions licence for rendering plant

The High Court refuses judicial review of a decision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant an Industrial Emissions license to a rendering plant for “the disposal or recycling of animal carcasses and animal waste” The applicant, who did not participate in the licensing process and lived a significant distance from the plant, claimed the State failed to properly transpose EU directives regarding environmental impact assessments (EIA) for projects requiring industrial emissions licenses. The Court ruled that the activist lacked standing, as he did not demonstrate a "sufficient interest" in the matter, nor was he directly affected by the plant's operations. The Court emphasized that EU law does not mandate standing for individuals to prosecute an actio popularis, and the Irish rules ensure the "wide access to justice" required by the Aarhus Convention and EU law.