The Fianna Fáil MEP for Midlands North West, Barry Cowen, has pledged to use his membership of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) to ensure Ireland retains its nitrates derogation.
Cowen said today that he firmly believes “derogation can be retained post 2025”.
“I am committed to working towards this as a member of the AGRI committee in the European Parliament,” he added.
The AGRI committee plays a key role in shaping the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as well as the EU policies in rural development, animal health and welfare, plant health, forestry and agroforestry.
Agriculture has been highlighted as being among the central EU priorities for the next five years and this was set out in the strategic agenda adopted at the European Council in June.
AGRI committee
The Fianna Fáil MEP for Midlands North West has already indicated ahead of new CAP negotiations that these should “be focused on food production and supplementing farm income”.
Separately Cowen has also welcomed the publication of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) plan to retain Irelands nitrates derogation after 2025.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, yesterday (August 20) outlined the “substantive” actions which the plan is formulated on including the fact that there are 50 ‘water quality advisors in place in priority to advise farmers and that a €60 million innovation programme is currently financially supporting actions by farmers.
Cowen added: “The plan details how all stakeholders including farmers, government, the wider agri-food sector and relevant state agencies can work together to secure the derogation post 2025.
“The derogation is crucial to our national farming system.”
Derogation
According to DAFM the “nitrates derogation renewal plan “pulls together all the significant work done to date” by the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group (WQG), the additional measures under the Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) and the on-going projects that will help Ireland to improve water quality and “secure the derogation”.
Minister McConalogue has also highlighted that a derogation “is available to Ireland based on specific scientific criteria such as a long growing season”.
“The Irish government is committed to seeking a further derogation and delivery of improvements in water quality is a critical component of supporting this request,” he outlined.