Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2016
51. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking with his European colleagues to ensure agriculture and forestry are considered as interdependent pillars in upcoming European Union climate policy discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21292/16]
View answerIreland has adopted a whole of Government approach to developing climate policy. We have been engaged in intensive discussions with the European Commission - both DG Clima and DG Agriculture - and with our European colleagues to ensure the October 2014 Council Conclusions are fully recognised in the effort sharing proposals.
We have been engaged for some time now with like minded colleagues across Europe with a view to informing the discussion on how best to address the multiple objectives of the agriculture and land use sector, with their lower mitigation potential, and how the LULUCF flexibility could be integrated in the EU Climate and Energy Framework. Part of this engagement resulted in us jointly preparing a paper with our Danish colleagues to inform discussion at the April meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture.
Since our appointment, my colleague Minister Naughten and I have met with Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy to discuss proposals on the EU’s Effort Sharing Decision and on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).
The meeting provided me with the opportunity to restate the commitment of the Irish agriculture sector to improving efficiency and driving down emissions, and to re-emphasise the importance of reflecting the 2014 European Council Conclusions in the proposed effort sharing decision – particularly, in terms of their recognition of the low mitigation potential of the sector and their reference to the inclusion of afforestation and LULUCF as part of future climate and energy policy.
My Department continues to maintain contact at European level pending publication of the proposal on the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) which is expected on 20 July 2016 to ensure that we influence the proposals in line with the text already agreed in October 2014.
