MEP views: will farmers stand for 15% less wages 'in the interest of nature'?

“You could claim that if the council’s proposals are passed, well then most of our obligations could be done on public lands, either Bord na Móna or Coillte. But if you go beyond that and look at the European Commission’s proposals but definitely the European Parliament’s proposals, then you wouldn’t have enough land in public ownership to comply with those percentages and that’s where the concern is.

“The proposals that are there are very onerous and are way above and beyond what the Commission proposed. If the Parliament’s position and the council’s position are very different, they’re going to meet somewhere in the middle because it’s a co-legislator. That will mean it’s going to be well beyond the Commission’s proposals, which already will be challenging.”

“The nature restoration law is acknowledging that habitats are in very poor condition. It’s looking at us not only protecting habitats, but restoring them.

“For me, the farmers and the Greens should be working hand-in-hand. I would like to see a budget outside of CAP for the nature restoration law to incentivise farmers to restore nature where they can. Whatever State lands are available and that can help to reverse the decline in species and absorb carbon from the atmosphere would be welcome.

“But, in addition, I would like to see it where other actors in our societies have opportunities to make some money.

“Our ecosystems will only work when they are in a healthy state and that’s what this legislation is trying to do. Not only will they sequester carbon, not only will they be good for our mental health because it’s good to see beautiful nature around you, but also for every €1 spent on biodiversity there’s €8.38 in return in terms of the services nature gives back.”

“We spent the last seven years talking about CAP and reforming CAP.

“We started with Phil Hogan who was Commissioner. We moved from supporting production to supporting ecosystems of one type or another such as ACRES.

“They have been embraced and I support them completely.

“They started on 1 January, and no sooner had they started when Timmermans comes along with this proposal, which is going to have a greater impact and has no knowledge of how it’s actually going to be done or financially supported.

“Is there anybody who’s going to say they will have 10% to 15% less wages next year in the interest of nature?

“A lot of farmers will find themselves in this position if this is implemented as it is.”

“I say this as a young farmer, if you change the goalposts today, that impacts a business. If I apply in my credit union to develop a business based off the CAP and then next week the goalposts are changed, then that whole plan is thrown out the window.

“The socioeconomic impact assessment statement has not happened, it’s being talked about but it’s not actually happening.

“We’re targeting the wrong audience; I think we should be targeting the other big stakeholders like [vice president of the European Commission Frans] Timmermans rather than just pointing to Mary and Joe down the road and asking them to completely change their business plan.”