Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly has pledged to convene a meeting on Ireland’s nitrates derogation in Brussels if he is successfully re-elected.
The leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament is among 73 candidates running in the European elections on June 7.
Kelly, who has been an MEP for 15 years, said the “high-level meeting” would including leading MEPs and European Commission officials in a bid “to ensure the derogation continues for Irish farmers”.
Nitrates derogation
Ireland has availed of a nitrates derogation since 2006, the derogation is due to run until the end of 2025.
The 2023 nitrates derogation mid-term review resulted in a reduction of the derogation to 220kg of organic N/ha in some areas due to water quality concerns.
“Over the past few years, farmers have been implementing numerous measures at the farm level to enhance sustainability.
“These efforts still need time to yield results, and farmers, like any other business, need certainty to justify their ongoing investments,” Kelly said.
“I have advocated for, and if elected will continue to do so, maintaining a nitrates derogation for Ireland that takes into account our unique grass-based system.
“This needs a comprehensive approach from our national government, farming organisations, MEPs, and even civil society,” he added.
Unique case
Kelly said that Ireland is “unique amongst our peers” in this case and “EU regulations should reflect that”.
“It is not about special treatment for the sake of it, instead, treatment of a special case,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed to Agriland that it received 7,238 online applications for the 2024 nitrates derogation by the April 26 deadline.
There are a number of cases where manual applications were submitted and these are “still being processed”.
The former president of the GAA from Co. Kerry added that he is “acutely aware of the challenges facing our farmers and rural communities”.
“Farmers are the ones who put food on the table, support our major export industries, but also they are the ones who can deliver the transition to sustainability. They must be paid properly for doing so.”
Kelly said that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget must be revisited and family farm incomes have to be secured.