Ireland retains derogation for three years

Ireland will retain its derogation from the European Nitrates Directive for the next three years, allowing dairy farmers to continue applying more animal manure than the standard limit of 170 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare. This was announced today by Martin Heydon, the Irish Minister for Agriculture.

The European Nitrates Committee  The Netherlands has definitively approved Ireland's request to maintain its derogation. The approval was expected and is now virtually final. However, the European Commission still needs to approve it. The approval is subject to several conditions. For example, Ireland must demonstrate that water quality will be improved and that compliance with the Habitats Directive will be enhanced.

The green light from Brussels is a huge relief for Ireland. "Securing the derogation has been an absolute priority for me and the government," said the minister. He added that the derogation aligns with Ireland's largely outdoor livestock farming system.

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is Head of Meat & Dairy at BoerenbusinessAt DCA Market Intelligence, he focuses on dairy, pork, and meat markets. He also monitors (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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