The EU Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius, who will visit Ireland later this week, has indicated that there could potentially be “movement” regarding the issue of in-calf animals in relation to the cut in the nitrates derogation.
Fine Gael senator, Tim Lombard told Agriland that Commissioner Sinkevicius “is deeply uncomfortable with the proposal that cattle are going to be destroyed off the back of a proposal that he was directly responsible for”.
The senator has estimated that unless there are “major changes and leniency” in relation to the nitrates derogation that “more than 40,000 cows will potentially be slaughtered, and the majority of those will be in calf”.
Senator Lombard together with colleagues from the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine met Commissioner Sinkevicius back in September to discuss Ireland’s nitrates derogation from the European Commission.
The senator does not believe that there will be any movement from the commissioner in relation to the water quality map produced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year.
The EPA published a “Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2022″ in June which contained a “red” map that identified areas where additional measures are required as part of the conditions of Ireland’s derogation.
Senator Lombard believes there is a “duty of care” on the European Commission to look at the scenario that has been created as a result of the red map “after the date that the breeding season was over”.
He said “farmers need clarity” from the commissioner’s visit.
“They’re going into a situation where they’re drying off animals at the moment and they’re looking at a breeding season or calving season starting in probably first or second week of January onwards so time is ticking on this,” Senator Lombard added.
According to his schedule, Commissioner Sinkevicius will meet with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and will also “attend a presentation by Teagasc” on Thursday, November 23.