The Government's bid to charge €20 per letter for planning objections has been criticised by the European Commission.
The EC recently warned that the fees may contravene one of its directives.
The warning is in a "letter of formal notice" recently sent to the Government by the EC. It refers to projects that require an environmental impact assessment.
The EC's initial conclusion, which may change, is that the "imposition of fees in respect of the submission by the public of opinions on development consent procedures" is contrary to the EC impact assessment directive. The Government has not yet responded to the letter.