Farmers will have to be at the centre of any future EU biodiversity strategy, Midlands-Northwest MEP Colm Markey has told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Last week, MEPs adopted the resolution 'EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives', with 515 votes to 90 and 86 abstentions, addressing the current biodiversity crisis in Europe and the rest of the world.

They called for a binding EU biodiversity law, similar to the EU climate law.

Markey said that biodiversity needs to be maintained and enhanced.

Practical solutions

“It needs to be done. There has to be practical solutions around it and there will be some measures that are challenging enough.

“Impact assessments are required for a policy like this, an environmental impact, but also an economic and financial impact assessment,” he said, adding that efforts to improve biodiversity cannot impact negatively on farm incomes.

“There will need to be consultation in conjunction with farmers,” he said.

Glyphosate

Markey opposed the ban on glyphosate, which the majority of MEPs voted to ban by not renewing its authorisation for use after 31 December 2022.

“It’s vital that we continue to have it. Removing glyphosate will result in major challenges,” he said, adding that different chemicals and pesticides will be needed to replace it.

“I’m very clear, there is no basis for removing glyphosate,” he said.