Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has said it is “unrealistic” the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could be the main funding instrument to deliver the “extremely ambitious” EU nature restoration targets.

There are a number of issues in relation to the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law, which sets targets to restore 30% of drained peatlands to satisfactory levels by 2030, that will require detailed consideration, according to the minster.

The agricultural aspects of the proposed regulation, among other issues, will be discussed by ministers at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels today (Monday, November 21).

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister McConalogue said he “fully subscribes” to the need to effectively manage and restore our natural habitats. However, there are many challenges from the perspectives of agriculture, forestry and the marine.

“At this juncture it is already clear that, given the scope and ambition of the proposal, it is unrealistic to expect that CAP funding, which is currently fully committed in line with member states’ CAP Strategic Plans, could be the main funding instrument to deliver these extremely ambitious targets,” her said.

Fertiliser supply chains, the new EU Forest Strategy 2030, and the bioeconomy will also be discussed at today’s meeting.

Fertiliser plan

Fertiliser prices are at the top of many farmers’ minds, and therefore all options need to be explored to address the spike in prices in the short term, Minister McConalogue said stressing the need for a fertiliser plan.

“We also need to maintain a level playing field across the EU by avoiding interventions that may cause market distortion, and to establish an observatory that will provide better data on stocks of fertilisers,” he added.

The minister said Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan will support farmers to adjust their farming practices, for example through greater use of multi-species swards, soil sampling and liming, investment in low-emissions slurry spreading (LESS), and improvements in the use of organic fertiliser.

Ireland’s new Forestry Programme stresses the multiple functions of forests and the essential balance between the ecological, climate, economic and social functions of forests, the minister said.

“I believe that there is a shared willingness on the part of the European Commission and member states to implement the EU Forest Strategy in an integrated, collaborative way,” Minister McConalogue said. 

The minister also said the European Commission and member states should assess what is required to scale-up bioeconomy development, given its ever-increasing importance in the climate and environment-proofing of the agri-food system.

“This will require a coherent approach across all [European] Commission services to promote, support, and develop the bioeconomy, and to ensure that the bioeconomy is suitably integrated in all relevant policies,” the minister said.