European Parliament members are in Dublin today examining the proposed site of the Poolbeg incinerator in Dublin.
The committee will investigate whether the incinerator, which will burn 600,000 tonnes of waste annually, will breach European environmental legislation.
Dublin City Council gave notice on Monday that it would enter into contract with overseas operators to run the incinerator, which will be located in the constituency of new Green Party Environment Minister John Gormley.
Mr Gormley, who was one of 2,000 residents and groups who lodged objections over the incinerator with An Bord Pleanála, will today meet with the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament.
The committee's investigation comes after a petition objecting to the incinerator was taken by local residents and Fianna Fail TD Chris Andrews to the European parliament in January.
Mr Andrews, who will meet with committee members this afternoon, said he hoped Mr Gormely would stop the facility.
But a Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government spokesman said today that Mr Gormley would not be commenting on the issue or outcome of today's meeting. He said legislation stopped him from commenting on such proposals while decisions were pending.
Mr Andrews said the committee's visit was an important step. "It shows the ability of the EU to act on behalf of citizens and residents, where the Irish authorities, in this case Dublin City Council, have let them down.
"The EU has a superb track record, most especially in the area of environmental law and carbon emissions," he said.
The council's application for the incinerator remains before An Bord Pleanála, which is expected to make a decision on the project in the Autumn.
The council said on Monday that it had issued Dublin Waste to Energy Limited, a joint venture between US firm Covanta Energy and Danish company DONG Energy, with a letter of intent concerning the proposed facility.