Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon is hoping that there will be a vote at EU level on Ireland’s next nitrates derogation in early December.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday, he said that Ireland continues to negotiate with the European Commission on the matter.
“Then we need the Commission to agree to put forward the proposal to the nitrates committee. That nitrates committee is made up of representatives of each of the other EU member states. They ultimately vote.
“We haven’t an agreed position yet. Those negotiations have reached an end game now and we’re in detailed negotiations with the Commission. As of now, there’s a cliff edge – we don’t have a derogation on 1 January next year,” he said.
It’s better to get the right deal than a quick deal
The public consultation on the new nitrates action programme (NAP) is open and closes on 1 December.
“The next meeting of the nitrates committee is on 9 December. [We] would hope to be in a position that the Commission would put forward a proposal that we could agree to for that December meeting. In a worst-case scenario, that would go to the March meeting, which is what happened four years ago.
“It’s better to get the right deal than a quick deal,” he said.
Water quality
By European standards, Ireland has good water quality, the fourth best in Europe, he said.
“Recent Teagasc research has shown the declining levels in nitrogen in the south and southeast, where the most intensive agricultural activity is happening, showing that the additional measures that our derogation farmers are undertaking are working,” he said.
The Minister said he will be highlighting this to European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall when she visits Ireland on Friday. The Commissioner will visit a derogation farm on the day.
Habitats directive
The Minister also said his Department is putting together a proposal to address the requirements with the habitats directive under the terms of the next derogation.
He said farmers are doing a huge amount of work in the biodiversity space and highlighted that farmers in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) have protected 9,000km of watercourses, enough to go from Sandymount to South Korea.
“The cost and additional administrative burden of the habitats directive is something that my Department will bear and take on board. The negotiations that are happening at present are that we need time to do this. We need time to do this.
"We need our farmers to continue to have a derogation while we carry out what is a very onerous undertaking in terms of that assessment process,” he said.
On Monday night, the Minister addressed almost 2,000 farmers at an IFA nitrates derogation meeting in Cork.
He told farmers at the meeting that he would be impressing on the commissioner the need for continuance of the derogation because of Ireland's grass-based systems and the efforts under way by Irish farmers.
Read more
Shock as derogation habitats battle looms
Almost 2,000 farmers call for crucial derogation to be retained
Radical shakeup of State's derogation application process on table
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon is hoping that there will be a vote at EU level on Ireland’s next nitrates derogation in early December.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday, he said that Ireland continues to negotiate with the European Commission on the matter.
“Then we need the Commission to agree to put forward the proposal to the nitrates committee. That nitrates committee is made up of representatives of each of the other EU member states. They ultimately vote.
“We haven’t an agreed position yet. Those negotiations have reached an end game now and we’re in detailed negotiations with the Commission. As of now, there’s a cliff edge – we don’t have a derogation on 1 January next year,” he said.
It’s better to get the right deal than a quick deal
The public consultation on the new nitrates action programme (NAP) is open and closes on 1 December.
“The next meeting of the nitrates committee is on 9 December. [We] would hope to be in a position that the Commission would put forward a proposal that we could agree to for that December meeting. In a worst-case scenario, that would go to the March meeting, which is what happened four years ago.
“It’s better to get the right deal than a quick deal,” he said.
Water quality
By European standards, Ireland has good water quality, the fourth best in Europe, he said.
“Recent Teagasc research has shown the declining levels in nitrogen in the south and southeast, where the most intensive agricultural activity is happening, showing that the additional measures that our derogation farmers are undertaking are working,” he said.
The Minister said he will be highlighting this to European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall when she visits Ireland on Friday. The Commissioner will visit a derogation farm on the day.
Habitats directive
The Minister also said his Department is putting together a proposal to address the requirements with the habitats directive under the terms of the next derogation.
He said farmers are doing a huge amount of work in the biodiversity space and highlighted that farmers in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) have protected 9,000km of watercourses, enough to go from Sandymount to South Korea.
“The cost and additional administrative burden of the habitats directive is something that my Department will bear and take on board. The negotiations that are happening at present are that we need time to do this. We need time to do this.
"We need our farmers to continue to have a derogation while we carry out what is a very onerous undertaking in terms of that assessment process,” he said.
On Monday night, the Minister addressed almost 2,000 farmers at an IFA nitrates derogation meeting in Cork.
He told farmers at the meeting that he would be impressing on the commissioner the need for continuance of the derogation because of Ireland's grass-based systems and the efforts under way by Irish farmers.
Read more
Shock as derogation habitats battle looms
Almost 2,000 farmers call for crucial derogation to be retained
Radical shakeup of State's derogation application process on table
SHARING OPTIONS