Europe’s environment commissioner is open to delaying the cut to Ireland’s nitrates derogation stocking rate by up to six months, MEP Colm Markey has said.

The MEP met with European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius in Brussels on Monday, where the Commissioner indicated that he was open to delaying the introduction of the lower stocking rate of 220kg organic N/ha.

Markey said that while the Commissioner was adamant that no change would be made to the 220kg limit, he was “very open to flexibilities” in how it would be imposed.

Speaking at Teagasc’s Catchment Science 2023 conference on Tuesday, the MEP said these flexibilities could be a phase-in period, as well as slurry exports and changes to nitrates calculations for calves.

It is understood that the Commission is acutely sensitive to the animal welfare threat that the sudden cut to 220kg would result in culling of in-calf cows.

A six-month delayed introduction of the 220kg limit would address this, and effectively give derogation farmers the equivalent of a 235kg limit for the year 2024.

Markey told the Wexford conference that Commissioner Sinkevicius is willing to “soften the impact initially”.

However, the MEP noted: “He’s waiting on the Irish Department of Agriculture to put proposals that ultimately the Commission can approve. Those proposals have not come forward yet.”

Commissioner Sinkevicius is set to travel to Ireland on 23 November, at the invitation of both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

Teagasc director Professor Frank O’Mara told the conference that protecting Ireland’s nitrates derogation was key to maintaining Ireland’s grass-based production system and competitive advantage.

He warned that the derogation cut could push more farmers away from grass systems towards higher input, indoor-based systems, reducing carbon sequestration by grasslands and eroding the animal welfare benefits of grazing.