Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
39. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the progress being made in his Department’s engagement with the European Commission pertaining to the forestry programme 2023 – 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34530/23]
View answerAs the Deputies may be aware, the next Forestry Programme is subject to State Aid approval from the European Commission.
Initially, I met with Commissioners Virginijus Sinkevicius and Janusz Wojciechowski last year to update them on Irish forestry, particularly on the extensive public consultation undertaken for the Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 and the subsequent development of the new Forest Strategy and Forestry Programme 2023-2027.The previous State Aid Guidelines in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas expired on 31st December 2022 and were replaced with a revised version as of 01st January 2023. This meant that a formal application for State Aid could not have been submitted to the European Commission until the revised guidelines were in place, i.e. before January 2023.
However, cognisant of the importance of implementing the new Forestry Programme as early as possible in 2023, and of the constraint that we could not submit a formal application for State Aid in 2022, we secured the agreement of the European Commission to facilitate a pre-notification in November 2022.The European Commission advised that the most efficient route to full State Aid approval is by way of close engagement between my Department and the Commission, in advance of the formal notification for State Aid approval. My Department, therefore after an extensive pre-notification process, submitted a Formal State Aid Notification on the 20th April 2023. The Commission are currently reviewing this formal notification in detail, to decide whether the proposed Forestry Programme is compatible with EU State Aid Rules. As part of their considerations, the Commision has conducted an interservice consultation with other Directorate Generals (DGs) with a legitimate interest in the proposal. I can advise that to this effect, my Department has now received further written correspondence relating to this notification on the 6th and the 21st of June 2023.
My Department has responded comprehensively to the correspondence received on the 6th June, which covered afforestation and creation of woodlands. My Department has also replied to the further correspondence received on the 21st June which covers support schemes.My Department officials are fully engaged with the Commission in order to secure this formal State Aid approval as soon as is allowable. Due to this ongoing engagement , it is therefore not appropriate to comment further on the details of the correspondence exchanged at this time.
However, I would like to highlight that as per EU Council Regulation 2015/1589, Article 32, the Commission shall in co-operation with my Department, publish details pertaining to their final decision in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This will be completed after the ongoing State Aid processes are concluded. I would also draw attention to the fact that my Department officials are bound by Article 30 with regards to Professional secrecy within this State Aid process.I have also engaged in productive bi-lateral discussions regarding the Forestry Programme with the Commission, alongside my colleague Minister Eamon Ryan on the 20th June 2023.
This included intensive engagements with First Vice President Timmermans and Commissioner Sinkevicius, at which the importance of the forestry programme to our climate change and environmental targets was emphasised. Noting the urgency of this matter, I have also wrote to Commissioner Sinkevicius on the 04th July, following up on our recent meeting. This again highlighted the urgency of the matter and to note the enormous potential contained in our programme to help address our ambitious national climate and biodiversity targets.
I would like to assure the House that the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is a matter of the utmost priority for me and my Department officials. All efforts are directed towards securing formal state aid approval as soon as is allowable, so that we can deliver lasting benefits for climate change, biodiversity, wood production, economic development alongside quality of life.
