There are four “pivotal” meetings for Ireland this year in relation to the nitrates derogation, Minister for Agriculture Martin Hayden has outlined. They are meetings of the Nitrates Committee in Brussels, which is shorthand for its lengthy full title, the Committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress and implementation of the directive on protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources.

The first two meetings took place in March and June, with two more scheduled for September and December.

Every member state in the European Union has a representative on this committee, and Ireland’s representative is Ted Massey, senior inspector in the Department of Agriculture’s nitrates and biodiversity division.

ADVERTISEMENT

While Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is the responsibility of Minister for Housing James Browne, the Department of Agriculture is responsible for the nitrates derogation, and negotiations for the derogation.

March 2025

In March, the EPA presented to the Brussels nitrates committee its Early Insights Nitrogen Indicator for 2024 report, which showed that nitrogen levels in rivers had reduced in 2024.

At the time, Dr Eimear Cotter, director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment, said: “Agriculture is the primary source of nitrogen in Irish rivers and there is significant action underway within the sector to improve water quality.

“It is therefore very welcome to see these early signs of improvement.

“It is important that the sector builds on this momentum and continues to implement actions to reduce nutrient losses in a targeted way.

“They helpfully acknowledged that there is a lag between improvements in river quality and improvement in estuaries,” Minister Heydon pointed out.

June 2025

Minister Heydon said Ted Massey and Department of Agriculture officials presented in June “exactly about what our farmers are doing, what our agriculture sector is doing, and what we’re doing across Government.

“How we’ve established a cabinet subcommittee that is chaired by the Taoiseach that doesn’t just focus on any questions, that focuses on our local authorities, that focuses on Uisce Éireann, that focuses on the EPA to make sure that everybody is doing their bit, as well as focusing on the efforts that our farmers make on Improving out water quality.”

September 2025

Bilateral engagement between Ireland and the European Commission will continue at the September meeting of the EU nitrates committee.

December 2025

Minister Heydon said: “We would hope by December’s meeting, we will be in a position for the Commission to put a proposal forward to member states for them to vote on.

“That’s a key point. The final decision on the derogation is a vote by all member states.”