A Midlands-North-West MEP has called on the European Commission to extend Ireland’s nitrates derogation and deliver a stable, long-term framework for the agricultural sector.
The intervention comes ahead of the expected vote on the extension of the nitrates derogation at the Nitrates Committee meeting on 9th December, and just weeks before the current derogation is due to expire.
MEP Maria Walsh, who is a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, has warned that failure to extend the derogation could devastate not only farm families, but rural communities across Ireland, costing the economy €45 billion between 2026 to 2035, with milk cheques cut by €555 million every year.
She says farmers need answers and certainty:
