Relevant Matter
Matters involving public funds
Public Policy Area
EU Affairs
Period
1 Jan, 2024 to 30 Apr, 2024
Specific Details
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Simplification
Intended results
To put forward particular measures that would help address issues faced by farmers in Ireland with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
To highlight significant impacts on farmers through legislation that falls outside the remit of DG Agriculture(EU).
To highlight that Irish farmers are among the most exposed in the EU to Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 requirements given approximately 18% of Ireland is defined as peatland, one of the highest shares in the EU.
That initial estimates by the Irish Department of Agriculture suggest, using Teagasc-Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Soils and Subsoils mapping, that almost one-in three Irish farmers could be impacted (c. 42,000 of c. 130,000 farmers) by Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 restrictions, with higher concentrations in the Midlands and along the rural Western seaboard of Ireland.
To propose that any implementation of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 should be postponed with a further derogation provided to Member States to allow additional analysis. This derogation should be available annually to Member States to the end of the current Common Agricultural Programme (CAP).
To propose that, before any Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 2 standard is applied in Ireland, a full comprehensive analysis must be conducted on the socio-economic impact of the measures on farmers. Until this is established, the requirements under conditionality must be delayed in their entirety.
GAEC 7
To highlight that Irish arable farmers have emerged from a very difficult season in 2023. Economic analysis from Teagasc, the Irish National Agriculture and Food Development Authority, has highlighted a 60% drop in incomes on these farms relative to 2022.
To make aware that weather conditions in the autumn of 2023 across Europe were extremely challenging and Ireland was no exception to this. Only 62% of winter cereal crops were established in Ireland during this period. This situation has been compounded by a shortfall in the availability of spring seeds.
Planting of winter cereal varieties was planned up until mid-February as a solution to alleviate the shortage of spring seeds, however, this has not been possible due to unsettled weather conditions.
To propose that a continuation of the derogation from Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 7 requirements of the three-crop rule and crop diversification for the 2024 harvest as justified by the criteria laid out above. The option of force majeure through the simplification measures must be confirmed immediately for farmers for the 2024 growing season due to increasing concern about meeting the requirements of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC )7.
Nitrates Directive/Derogation
To demonstrate that the constant review of the Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) every 2 years provides no certainty to farmers. Farmers are now reluctant to invest in measures to protect water quality as they are uncertain if they will be able to meet the financial commitment should further erosion of the derogation occur.
To highlight that the nitrates derogation is a key component of the pasture based dairy and livestock production systems adopted in Ireland. This derogation does not give the Irish agricultural sector a competitive advantage, it merely levels the playing field as all other costs of production (especially feed and fertiliser) are higher in Ireland relative to other member states.
Losing the derogation would be an unmitigable blow to the viability of small to medium sized family farms and yet there is no guarantee that its removal would result in any improvement in water quality. Based on our understanding of the complexity of factors that impact water quality, we advocate for targeted and tailored measures to mitigate potential nutrient loss from farms to our catchments rather than blunt blanket instruments.
To propose that the review of the Nitrates Directive and the granting of derogations under the directive must recognise and respect the position of member states who rely on the Nitrates Derogation to maintain grass based sustainable farming systems.
The facility of a nitrates derogation, granted for a longer period, must be sustained in order to affirm the viability of sustainable grass-based production systems which offer multiple environmental and animal welfare benefits. Any reduction in the derogation will in fact be counter productive in terms of achieving various environmental and sustainability objectives.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General, Liam McHale IFA Director of European Affairs, Noel Banville EU 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.
Informal communication (2-5)
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.
Amii McKeever
Adviser to Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Barry Andrews
MEP (European Parliament)
Billy Kelleher
MEP (European Parliament)
Charlie McConalogue
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Chris MacManus
MEP (European Parliament)
Ciarán Cuffe
MEP (European Parliament)
Clare Daly
MEP (European Parliament)
Colm Markey
MEP (European Parliament)
Deirdre Clune
MEP (European Parliament)
Frances Fitzgerald
MEP (European Parliament)
Grace O'Sullivan
MEP (European Parliament)
Luke Ming Flanagan
MEP (European Parliament)
Maria Walsh
MEP (European Parliament)
Mick Wallace
MEP (European Parliament)
Sean Kelly
MEP (European Parliament)
Brendan Gleeson
Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)