Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2004
169 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on whether there was a breach of faith in the Government's involvement in the EU nitrates directive by their submission of a nitrates action plan to Brussels which breached the Sustaining Progress agreement signed up to by farmers representatives in the partnership talks. [5363/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe implementation of the nitrates directive is in the first instance a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
A draft action programme giving effect to the directive, which was prepared by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in conjunction with my Department and in consultation with Teagasc, was presented in December last to representatives of the main farming organisations and other stakeholders. A period of two months was provided for stakeholders to submit their comments on the document in writing to either or both Departments. This period runs until tomorrow, 19 February. When the consultation process has been completed and consideration has been given to the various submissions, definitive proposals for an action programme will be submitted to the European Commission. Clearly, it is important that the action programme satisfies the EU Commission as regards compliance while at the same time allowing maximum flexibility for individual farmers.
The Sustaining Progress agreement stated that in the context of the regime soon to be adopted to transpose the provisions of the nitrates directive, the Government will use the flexibility in the directive to seek to secure European Commission approval for limits of up to 250 kg per hectare per annum to be allowable in appropriate circumstances. The draft action programme currently under discussion includes a provision to this effect and is therefore consistent with the provisions of Sustaining Progress.
