The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has claimed that the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) is being driven by ideology, not science.
Under the European Commission’s proposed changes to the IED, a permitting regime would be extended to many more farms, including, for the first time, cattle farms.
The commission proposal outlined that farms above 150 livestock units (LU) would be required to apply for a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to operate.
On Thursday (March 8), environment ministers met to decide on the EU Council’s approach to the IED changes.
In their general approach, member states amended the commission’s proposal so that the scope of the directive would extend to intensive livestock farms with higher LU numbers than 350LU for cattle and pigs, 280LU for poultry, and 350LU for mixed farms.
Extensive farms would be excluded under the council’s amendment.
IFA
IFA president Tim Cullinan said that including livestock farming within the IED “was the completely wrong approach in the first place”.
“Farms are already heavily regulated and they are not industrial units. We have a pasture-based system in this country.
“This is driven by ideology, not science, and it’s the thin end of the wedge to force a costly licensing regime on farming,” he said.
“Before the meeting last week, we were one of ten farm organisations across the EU to write to the EU Council on the matter.
“While 350 is a significant improvement on the original proposal of 150 livestock units, it is still completely over the top.
“What was decided last week is the EU Council’s negotiating position. There is still further negotiation to take place between the three EU institutions,” Cullinan said.
The European Parliament still has to finalise its position ahead of negotiations between the three institutions. We will continue to lobby MEPs on the matter,” he added.
IED
The IFA president also said that he would be seeking clarity on the position taken by the Irish government at the EU Council meeting.
The Irish delegation was led by Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), Ossian Smyth.
The Green Party minister said that “Ireland did previously indicate that it was considering a move towards the presidency proposal to have a LSU threshold of 250 for cattle and pigs”.
Smyth said that Ireland had hoped for “more ambition in terms of agreeing the LSU threshold” adding that “we’re disappointed at where we appear to have landed”.
“But in an effort to try to move this forward and in the interests of pragmatism and trying to get an agreement, Ireland can accept the presidency proposal in respect of agro-industrial activities including the 350 LSU threshold for cattle and pigs as a compromise,” he said.
Tim Cullinan said he was “worried that green ministers are not acting in our national interest and are instead following their minority ideology”.
“I will be seeking further clarity as to whether the Irish government’s position is that all farms above 150 livestock units should be included under the IED,” he said.