A proposed tightening of EU rules on industrial pollution will affect many more farmers than initially expected in the official impact assessment done on the policy change.
It has emerged that the European Commission used outdated 2016 farm data to help justify the case it made for lowering the livestock unit (LU) limit over which farms have to apply for environmental permits to operate.
The impact assessment published alongside the Commission’s proposal to revise the industrial emissions directive (IED) said that only 13% of the EU’s farms would be subject to the licensing procedure.
However, 2020 farm census data suggests that around one in every five farms across the EU will be brought into the directive’s fold - approximately 40% more farms proportionally than reported in the initial proposal.
It is understood that the updated figures will see 12.5% of EU cattle farms, 58% of EU poultry farms and 61% of EU pig farms fall into the directive’s licensing threshold.
The only farms currently subject to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permits are those with more than 750 sows, 2,000 fattening pigs or 40,000 poultry places.
Measures
Licensing procedures for farms larger than 150 LUs would see farmers having to take additional measures to prevent air, soil and water pollution.
The Commission’s proposal would also require dairy and beef farms larger than 150 LU to seek licenses.
Details of these measures have yet to be outlined, as have the 'best available technologies' farmers would have to employ to comply with the directive.
Reaction
EU farmer and farm co-operative group Copa-Cogeca slammed the Commission’s underestimation of the number of farms set to be affected by the changes, suggesting the discrepancy was a miscalculation on Brussels' behalf.
Copa-Cogeca raised concerns on the impact of the proposal on family farms, particularly those operating extensive grazing systems.
“To justify this threshold approach, the Commission relied on a specially commissioned impact assessment,” the umbrella body commented.
“While the data used for the revision of the directive was dated as 2016, now the Commission has data coming from 2020 which contradicts the originally given percentage of farms covered by the industrial emissions directive.
“How is it possible to base decisions on such a miscalculation,” the farm group stated.
The initial proposals have also heard strong opposition from EU farm ministers, with Ireland among the countries looking for an easing of the Commission's plans to account for grass-based farming.
Read more
EU farm ministers push against Commission’s 150-cow permit plans
Thousands of farmers facing stricter emissions protocols – Copa-Cogeca
Farms with over 150 cows could need environmental permits
A proposed tightening of EU rules on industrial pollution will affect many more farmers than initially expected in the official impact assessment done on the policy change.
It has emerged that the European Commission used outdated 2016 farm data to help justify the case it made for lowering the livestock unit (LU) limit over which farms have to apply for environmental permits to operate.
The impact assessment published alongside the Commission’s proposal to revise the industrial emissions directive (IED) said that only 13% of the EU’s farms would be subject to the licensing procedure.
However, 2020 farm census data suggests that around one in every five farms across the EU will be brought into the directive’s fold - approximately 40% more farms proportionally than reported in the initial proposal.
It is understood that the updated figures will see 12.5% of EU cattle farms, 58% of EU poultry farms and 61% of EU pig farms fall into the directive’s licensing threshold.
The only farms currently subject to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permits are those with more than 750 sows, 2,000 fattening pigs or 40,000 poultry places.
Measures
Licensing procedures for farms larger than 150 LUs would see farmers having to take additional measures to prevent air, soil and water pollution.
The Commission’s proposal would also require dairy and beef farms larger than 150 LU to seek licenses.
Details of these measures have yet to be outlined, as have the 'best available technologies' farmers would have to employ to comply with the directive.
Reaction
EU farmer and farm co-operative group Copa-Cogeca slammed the Commission’s underestimation of the number of farms set to be affected by the changes, suggesting the discrepancy was a miscalculation on Brussels' behalf.
Copa-Cogeca raised concerns on the impact of the proposal on family farms, particularly those operating extensive grazing systems.
“To justify this threshold approach, the Commission relied on a specially commissioned impact assessment,” the umbrella body commented.
“While the data used for the revision of the directive was dated as 2016, now the Commission has data coming from 2020 which contradicts the originally given percentage of farms covered by the industrial emissions directive.
“How is it possible to base decisions on such a miscalculation,” the farm group stated.
The initial proposals have also heard strong opposition from EU farm ministers, with Ireland among the countries looking for an easing of the Commission's plans to account for grass-based farming.
Read more
EU farm ministers push against Commission’s 150-cow permit plans
Thousands of farmers facing stricter emissions protocols – Copa-Cogeca
Farms with over 150 cows could need environmental permits
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