The agreement on the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) reached yesterday (Wednesday, November 29) by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU has caused concern for the EU’s leading farm organisation.
Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella group for EU farm organisations and agricultural co-operatives, said that the agreement “worries European livestock farmers”.
Negotiators from the parliament and the council agreed to a text for the revision of the IED, which excludes cattle farms (though further legislation may be proposed at a future date which might see cattle farms included).
However, under the revisions, many more pig and poultry farms (the largest of which are already under the scope of the IED) will now be covered by the IED, and will be required to submit to an environmental permitting regime.
“Far from bringing relief, today’s compromise brings a feeling of incomprehension and concern among many livestock farmers,” Copa said.
“Negotiators, notably from the European Parliament, made energetic attempts to change a European Commission proposal which was out of touch with on-the-ground realities. MEPs managed to successfully exclude cattle from the scope of the directive, at least for the moment,” the farm organisation added.
“Yet, the co-legislators dismissed the consequences that this will bring to poultry and pig farms, including mixed farms, which have now made it to the scope of the directive.”
The parliament negotiators on the Industrial Emissions Directive said yesterday that the agreement included a reciprocity clause that would require countries exporting goods to the EU to meet the same standards set out for EU industry under the directive.
However, Copa claimed that this clause would not be operational until after 2028.
“Who will be able to explain to European farming families that we are going to import, through the current European trade agenda, meat and eggs from foreign companies that will not respect any of the IED standards?” the farm organisation said.
Copa also flagged concerns over the penalties for breaching the IED.
“It is hard to understand that breeders in breach could receive fines equaling 3% of their annual turnover. This will be extremely taxing for small and medium size farmers,” Copa said.
“Many technical details still need to be analysed at this stage, and the next few weeks will be particularly important before the text is returned to the Council and the European Parliament. We will remain vigilant,” the group added.