23/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 22 March, the European Commission sent a final written warning to Ireland for failing to comply fully with a 2002 European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling requiring drinking water supplies to be kept free of E.coli bacteria. It has also sent Ireland a similar warning for failing to comply with a 2005 ECJ ruling requiring greater controls on polluting discharges to surface water by local authorities. If Dublin's responses are unsatisfactory, the Commission may ask the ECJ to impose financial penalties on Ireland. The Commission has also decided to refer Ireland to the ECJ for failing to give adequate rights to citizens to legally challenge decisions in cases involving environmental impact assessments and integrated pollution prevention and control. At the same time, action taken by Ireland to ban drift-netting of Atlantic wild salmon at sea has allowed the procedure initiated against Dublin to be closed. (ol)