Ireland is on track to secure a nitrates derogation from the European Commission – but it may be for just two years instead of four.

Talks between the Department of Agriculture here and Commission officials are at an advanced stage, but some aspects of Ireland’s Nitrates Action Plan are still being debated.

The Irish Farmers Journalunderstands that the introduction of nitrogen excretion bands for cows, planned for 1 January 2022, could be postponed by a year.

Under the proposed banding rules, farmers with higher-producing cows would hit the upper ceiling for stocking rate faster and some would find themselves exceeding the 250kg N/ha limit.

Commission officials also pushed Ireland to ensure that there would be more of a widespread industry involvement in protecting water quality.

Up to now, Ireland has secured four-year derogations from European authorities, but this could be the first time it is restricted to just two years

To that end, it is expected that the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) model will be expanded, to address the twin water quality issues of nitrogen in the south and east of the country and phosphorus in the west and northwest.

Increased inspection of water quality is likely under the new plan, with Department of Agriculture inspectors likely to be drafted in to augment the current local authority inspection regime.

Up to now, Ireland has secured four-year derogations from European authorities, but this could be the first time it is restricted to just two years.

While Irish officials are downplaying the significance of the shorter period, there is a belief that this could be the Commission’s way of ensuring water quality markers improve before it grants a longer derogation.

Ireland is one of just four countries or regions in the EU which still have a derogation, the others being Flanders in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Some 6,400 Irish farmers applied for the nitrates derogation last year, the majority of them dairy farmers.