Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 July 2023
187. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a detailed timeline of correspondence between his Department and the European Commission concerning the proposed forestry programme and its compatibility with EU state aid rules in 2023. [34407/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the next Forestry Programme is subject to State Aid approval under the Guidelines from the EU Commission. Minister of State, Pippa Hackett met with Commissioners Virginijus Sinkevicius and Janusz Wojciechowski in 2022 to update them on Irish forestry, particularly the extensive public consultation undertaken on 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.
The previous State Aid Guidelines in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas expired on 31 December 2022 and have now been replaced with a revised version as of 01 January 2023. The introduction of these revised guidelines 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.
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, the Department 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 the Department and the Commission, in advance of formal notification for State Aid approval.
My Department, after an extensive pre-notification process, submitted the Formal State Aid Notification for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 on the 20 April 2023.
The Commission are currently reviewing this notification in detail to decide whether the proposed Forestry Programme is compatible with EU State Aid Rules. As part of their considerations, the Commission has conducted an inter-service 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 6 and the 21 of June 2023.
My Department has responded in detail to the correspondence received on the 6 June, which covered afforestation and creation of woodlands. My Department is preparing an additional reply to the further correspondence received on the 21 June which covers support schemes, and will issue this week.
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.
Additionally, bi-lateral discussions were held on the Forestry Programme in person with the Commission between Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister of State, Pippa Hackett on 20 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.
I would like to assure the Deputy that the receipt of formal State Aid approval and the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is a matter of the utmost priority for my colleagues. As you will be aware, a comprehensive and well-subscribed Forestry Programme has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for climate change, biodiversity, wood production, economic development and quality of life.
