Nitrates derogation ‘not tradeable commodity’ for Mercosur – Heydon
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has dismissed connections between the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement and the recent nitrates derogation extension.
The EU's agreement with the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay would create the world's biggest free trade zone, covering a market of over 700 million consumers.
A majority of EU member states voted in favour of the deal during a meeting of the European Council on Friday (January 9).
Separately, in December, the European Commission has officially extended Ireland's nitrates derogation for a further three years.
Minister Heydon made the comments at the launch of the Boyne Catchment Action Plan campaign, as part of the Better Farming for Water Campaign, at Teagasc Grange in Co. Meath yesterday (Wednesday, January 14).
“There’s been an awful lot of loose talk around Mercosur, and I don’t want anyone in the farming sector to think that the nitrates derogation is a tradeable commodity that people throw you a few sweets if you’re good,” he said.
“We have this opportunity, it’s an extension of the last derogation, not a new derogation. It’s an extension to allow us the time to address what we need to address in the habitats directive. But also to continue the efforts on water quality.”
The minister emphasised the importance of water quality to all of society, not just farming.
“Water and water quality is a lifeblood for us all in our day-to-day lives," he said.
"For all of us who care about the environment and all of us as custodians of the land who want to hand over our farms to the next generation in a better condition than how we found them, water quality really matters.”
“What I say about environment; the scale of the challenge we face around climate change, is something I feel is so overwhelming at times – we can all recoil and say it doesn’t matter what we do here: ‘They’re doing this in China and something else in South America, what we do doesn’t matter.’
"And there’s a real of sticking our heads in the sand and saying ‘what I do doesn’t matter’.
Minister Heydon described himself as “a strong believer in the power of one”.
“What I saw in many farm walks, was taking the fear out of these issues for farmers. Small measures can have a cumulative impact for farmers," he continued.
"When more than one farmer on the same river bank does it, it has an even bigger impact.”
Nitrates derogation
On subject of nitrates derogation, Minister Heydon said: “That’s why it was so important in negotiating the extension of nitrates derogation.
"We got time to address these issues. It was all of last year, it was a green jersey issue, across government, across industry, across farming organisations, and we all worked together."
The minister acknowledged the roles "that all stakeholders played in giving us space to do what we needed to do".
“Teagasc and others gave us the science to make the strongest possible arguments. We had a great team of people in the department [of agriculture].
“The [European] Commission outlined clearly last June that we had to prove our compliance with the habitats directive. If we kept doing business as usual, it was going to be difficult for the commission to consider giving us an extension on derogation. That was black and white.”
Minister Heydon stated that there was no guarantee of a derogation:
“The only guarantee we had was to not take that on, and nobody would get a derogation on January 1," he said.
"That wasn’t an option for us, so I engaged with stakeholders, wrote back in August and said we would be addressing habitats directive and improving compliance but we need time to do so.
“That was the basis of negotiations into the autumn. With all the talk and concern…about the challenges that directives create for us, farmers felt a strong sense of disillusionment, that everything they’d done to date was for nought.
“And I said it before: [there is] only one reason why we’re the only country in Europe to be able to avail of this derogation; because of the efforts of farmers, individuals, semi-state, and industry [who] have worked together on improving water quality and our impact on water quality as we farm top quality food trusted at home and abroad."
Minister Heydon went on to praise Ireland’s farmers.
“We wouldn’t be on that pitch, talking about an extension, if farmers hadn’t done what they did to date," he stressed.
"So everyone should stand proud of that and recognise we’re on a journey and we have to do more.
"And in terms of the opportunities that the three years have given us, is to recognise that we have a golden opportunity here."
‘No excuses’
Minister Heydon concluded by saying: “If at the end of this three years, we don’t have a derogation after that, this is on us".
"There are no excuses. We are in such a better place now – there are so many supports in government [than before].
“Trust me to lead in what we have to do. Every farmer has the opportunity over the next three years to continue to improve on what we’re doing on water quality.”
He added that Ireland has a “golden opportunity to lay a strong marker for three years’ time”.
“We control how good a position we’re in as an industry. More than ever before with nitrates derogation, the future is in our hands," the minister said.
