It is “imperative” that the agricultural sector in Ireland increases its environmental credentials, according to the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan.

The upcoming reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will play a key role in this, the commissioner explained.

Commissioner Hogan was one of the speakers at an event organised by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) in Co. Kilkenny on Friday last (April 20).

Also Read: Hogan concedes that cuts to the CAP budget are ‘realistic’

During his speech, he said: “We want the policy to remain strong, competitive, adequately funded and committed to supporting farmers’ incomes; while strengthening the fabric of rural areas and contributing significantly to a higher level of environmental and climate ambition.

“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new data last week showing that, in 2016, Irish ammonia emissions were in breach of EU limits for the first time – and emissions for three of the five main pollutants are going in the wrong direction.

Ireland can’t afford to pay lip service to the climate and environment any more. We risk serious fines from the commission if we continue on our current path.

“We must also deliver on the public goods agenda and environment to justify the EU agriculture budget to our critics,” he said.

New approach

It is for these reasons that the commissioner has proposed a new delivery system for the CAP following its upcoming reform.

Continuing, he said: “I believe this new approach will help farmers of all sizes to play their part, and I want to see them rewarded for doing so.

The basic idea is to move from a compliance-based system to a results-based system, and to give national authorities more flexibility to figure out how to achieve those results.

“Subsidiarity is the name of the game – we are giving member states the opportunity to influence positive change, under the watchful eye of the European Commission,” he said.

Strategic plans

Commissioner Hogan explained that each member state will have to submit a ‘CAP Strategic Plan‘ to cover both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2.

These plans must include detailed descriptions of how each member state will address specific issues, such as: climate and environment; nutrient management; precision farming; improved use of technology for controls; and young farmers.

“The commission will approve the plans, monitor their performance closely, and intervene where necessary. We will remain the ultimate authority and national authorities will be expected to deliver in a meaningful way.

The new delivery model will ensure that 100% of direct payments are linked to environmental performance.

“By giving member states the freedom to design a strategic plan for their entire territory, we are ending the era of Brussels measuring the width and height of hedges.

“Member states will fix their national targets against results indicators to achieve specific objectives. And I stress that the commission will not be a passive bystander – we will keep a close eye on what each country is doing to make sure they are doing it right, preventing gold-plating at national level,” he concluded.