An independent Irish MEP has said that he will not vote in favour of the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law in its current form.
Independent MEP for Midlands North West Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan said that the law, which was put forward by the EU Commission as a vehicle to address the biodiversity “crisis”, is “utterly inadequate”.
“We need a transition to a more sustainable form of agriculture, a ‘just transition’ where all sectors contribute and in particular, adequate long term funding is in place to support this into the future,” he said.
Nature Restoration Law
On February 27, MEPs are due to vote on the proposed Nature Restoration Law in Strasbourg.
However, MEP Flanagan has voiced serious concerns about how the directive will be funded both at a European and national level.
“According to the proposed regulation the European Union will by 2028 make up its mind what resources are required, two years after the law comes into effect,” he claimed.
The MEP said he has been trying to establish what funding Ireland will allocate to nature restoration for the past two months, including attempting to contact Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue.
Flanagan said he spoke with Minister of State for Nature Malcolm Noonan in relation to how the EU law may be implemented and funded in Ireland.
The MEP claimed that hardly any of the new Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund announced in Budget 2024 will be used to facilitate a just transition for farmers, adding that he is “anything but reassured”.
“Even if the money announced was totally dedicated to the implementation of the Nature Restoration Law it still doesn’t deal with the issue of long term funding.
“This isn’t something that needed a commitment until 2030. It needs a perpetual long term fund beyond 2030 which farmers can trust and rely on as they plan for the decades ahead.
“How can we expect people to commit if they aren’t given certainty on policy?” he said.
He claimed that the government is ignoring the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss which called for “sufficient funding and resources to meet the challenges of biodiversity loss”.
Funding
Flanagan said that a third pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) needs to be established to fund the measures under the proposed law.
“Farmers have demonstrated in the past that they are not afraid of change if they are treated with respect and their livelihood needs are recognised,” he said.
He added that companies such as Unilever and Coca Cola which have backed the proposed law should be made pay for nature restoration through a levy on their profits.
“As things stand I won’t be voting for the Nature Restoration regulation on February 27 in Strasbourg.
“I’ve always been clear. There will be no transition unless it is a just transition. This is anything but. Cuts in real terms to farmers who are asked to do ever more. 80% of whom struggle to make ends meet,” Flanagan said.
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) welcomed the announcement by the MEP to not support the law as it currently stands. The INHFA said it “encourages” other MEPs to also vote against the law.
“The Nature Restoration Law is a major threat to farm families [and] will compromise CAP payments and damage the reputation of Irish food produced from lands subject to this law,” the INHFA said.