The European Commission realises it has ignored farmers and agricultural communities in designing the nature restoration law, MEP Billy Kelleher has said.
Kelleher described the Commission’s affirmation that “further flexibilities” should be afforded to Ireland for rewetting targets and that no farmer will have to pay as “interesting”.
“A lot of time and effort could have been saved if they had conducted proper impact assessments into how the nature restoration law would have affected these communities at the very outset,” he said.
New money
However, the Fianna Fáil MEP insisted that if payments are to be made to farmers impacted by rewetting or nature restoration across Europe, it should be new money.
“The existing CAP budgets should not be raided to pay for this idea. Detailed information is now needed about where this pot of money will come from,” he said.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher. \ Dominique Hommel
Kelleher added that, in an Irish context, “farmers whose lands are adjacent to rewet publicly owned lands should be eligible for compensation if their lands are affected by the rewetting of neighbouring lands”.
“The confirmed flexibilities that may be of use to Ireland are welcome. It's now essential that these are enshrined in the actual text being voted on in both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers,” he added.
‘Overriding goal’
The farmer said his “overriding goal between now and the end of the legislative process is to align the European Parliament's rewetting targets with those of the Irish Government”.
The European Commission must make a funding "pot" for nature restoration clear, said MEP Kelleher. \ Clive Wasson
He said this will “ensure that we will not need to rewet any private farmland, and Ireland can make use of its State-owned lands for all its rewetting targets”.
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EU puts money and greater flexibility on rewetting table
The European Commission realises it has ignored farmers and agricultural communities in designing the nature restoration law, MEP Billy Kelleher has said.
Kelleher described the Commission’s affirmation that “further flexibilities” should be afforded to Ireland for rewetting targets and that no farmer will have to pay as “interesting”.
“A lot of time and effort could have been saved if they had conducted proper impact assessments into how the nature restoration law would have affected these communities at the very outset,” he said.
New money
However, the Fianna Fáil MEP insisted that if payments are to be made to farmers impacted by rewetting or nature restoration across Europe, it should be new money.
“The existing CAP budgets should not be raided to pay for this idea. Detailed information is now needed about where this pot of money will come from,” he said.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher. \ Dominique Hommel
Kelleher added that, in an Irish context, “farmers whose lands are adjacent to rewet publicly owned lands should be eligible for compensation if their lands are affected by the rewetting of neighbouring lands”.
“The confirmed flexibilities that may be of use to Ireland are welcome. It's now essential that these are enshrined in the actual text being voted on in both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers,” he added.
‘Overriding goal’
The farmer said his “overriding goal between now and the end of the legislative process is to align the European Parliament's rewetting targets with those of the Irish Government”.
The European Commission must make a funding "pot" for nature restoration clear, said MEP Kelleher. \ Clive Wasson
He said this will “ensure that we will not need to rewet any private farmland, and Ireland can make use of its State-owned lands for all its rewetting targets”.
Read more
EU puts money and greater flexibility on rewetting table
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