The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 20 Jan, 2026

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area EU Affairs

Period 1 Sep, 2025 to 31 Dec, 2025

Specific Details EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

Intended results That while IFA is supportive of the overarching aim of ending deforestation globally, EUDR has consistently shown itself to be impractical and overtly bureaucratic for implementation by Irish farmers. In the initial proposal for EUDR, farmers would have had to submit Due Diligence Statements for the movement of every animal from their farms and engage with a highly complex submission system, different to anything they currently engage with in relation to animal movements. To highlight that the initial promise for EUDR was a full delay for 1 year and this has not been honoured by the European Commission under the simplification package proposed. That IFA seeks for the urgent procedure to be invoked and for the 12 month delay to apply to all stakeholders who are currently not sufficiently prepared to implement EUDR correctly. That IFA supports the creation of the 4th ‘Zero Risk' category which removes the requirement of farmers to complete the due diligence procedures given its bureaucratic overreach and complex administrative system. That while IFA is supportive of the overarching aim of ending deforestation globally, EUDR has consistently shown itself to be impractical and overtly bureaucratic for implementation by Irish farmers. In the initial proposal for EUDR, farmers would have had to submit Due Diligence Statements for the movement of every animal from their farms and engage with a highly complex submission system, different to anything they currently engage with in relation to animal movements. To highlight that the recent proposal for simplification of EUDR proposed by the European Commission lacks predictability, legal certainty and would potentially result in a two-speed implementation of EUDR by different stakeholders in agricultural supply chains. This proposal fails to acknowledge the complexities and interactions between different operators in agricultural value chains and does not offer true simplification for the sector. To stress that IFA is largely supportive of the recently agreed Council position on EUDR which can serve as a basis for negotiations with the European Parliament and bring future simplification of the file for farmers on the ground. Essential to this position is the delay of application for micro and small operators until 30th June 2027 and the commitment that the European Commission would be tasked with reviewing the EUDR Proposal by 30th April 2026 to analyse the impact on small and medium sized operators, as well as accompanying this with a legislative proposal. To seek support for the above amendments at the Plenary vote on the 26th November.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Francie Gorman IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General, Liam MacHale IFA Director of European Affairs, Noel Banville IFA European Policy Executive

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (2-5)

Phone call (2-5)

Informal communication (2-5)

Letter (1)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Barry Cowen MEP (European Parliament)

Ciaran Mullooly MEP (European Parliament)

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP (European Parliament)

Kathleen Funchion MEP (European Parliament)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Lynn Boylan MEP (European Parliament)

Michael McNamara MEP (European Parliament)

Regina Doherty MEP (European Parliament)

Sean Kelly MEP (European Parliament)