Michael Fitzmaurice: Warns EU policy is pushing farmers aside
Michael Fitzmaurice spoke about climate, trade and agri-food policy, warning that farmers are becoming casualties of current European climate and trade choices. He urged earlier engagement with farmers on trade deals, insisted nature-restoration measures must be voluntary, and called for continued financial support including forestry funding.
Concerns over climate policy and imports
He criticised decisions in Denmark and Holland and argued that Europe is increasingly importing processed poultry and beef rather than keeping production local. He said this risks taking prime land out of production, undermines self-sufficiency and questioned the logic of displacing emissions to other parts of the world - ‘‘the cow puts up the same meat in or she farts the same in some other part of the world rather than in Europe’’.
Trade, exports and farmer engagement
He highlighted that around 90% of the country’s agri-food output is exported and cited roughly €21 billion in agri-food exports in the last year. He warned that trade must be two-way, that export markets require reciprocal access, and argued for earlier, more honest engagement with farming communities and for those discussions to begin before trade deals are finalised, a point he said he has raised with the Trade Commissioner.
Nature restoration and voluntary measures
He emphasised that measures such as the nature restoration law should be voluntary, repeating ‘‘voluntary, voluntary, voluntary,’’ and said CAP funding could not be used for mandatory restoration. He called for incentives and financial support to help farmers make transitions, and for the State to prioritise adaptation and the use of state lands to improve resilience for rural and urban communities.
Support for farming, forestry and EU budget priorities
He described farming as the crucial backbone of the indigenous economy and urged that the next European budget and the country’s forthcoming EU Presidency reflect those priorities. He noted increases in forestry funding - £93 million allocated this year - and highlighted wider concerns about farm losses in Europe, citing a figure of 5.5 million farms lost and sharing an example involving a Danish organic farmer.
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Deputy Michael De Smarris. Goeie magad, Naes Cian Coirle. Tánaiste, during Covid, the buzzword everywhere in every country was about food security and making sure that where there were shortages showing up in places, that we would learn from those mistakes. But ironically enough, in my opinion, because of commission pressure over the last couple of years, it is worrying to see in the line of Holland, where 10% of their land where farmers were farming had to sign a docket, were basically turfed out and told that they cannot farm in Europe again. They had to sign that docket. The same this week, the European Commission has after given Denmark to go ahead for a £1 billion fund, which will take out 90-10% of their lands. Throughout Europe, and we see it in every country, we see the pressures on land in the line of forestry, in the line of solar, in the line of wind. And also, you see new EU regulations, 10%, we've done it in this country. Where farmers have set aside 10% for nature, and they didn't say anything about it, may I add. They were prepared to do it. You also have the nature restoration law, that is coming in, and the interpretation of that will be known in the next few months. So I'm not going to make a hasty statement, one way or the other, in the line of that. In the last 15 years, the stats will tell you, throughout Europe, we have lost 5.5 million farms. 5.5 million farms is 5.5 million families. That is a colossal amount. There is something wrong. And at the same time, and it's not that we're against trade deals, but there seems to be a massive push, be it New Zealand, be it Australia, be it Mercosur, be it CETA, to make sure that we hammered these deals fairly quick. There seems to be an agenda driven by the Commission, and by Ursula van der Leyen. Because if you look, the heavy industries like steel and other heavy industries have been driven out of Europe. We also now seem to, on the figures of what we have to achieve in climate, it looks and appears that farmers are the next casualties. When you look at the reasons that both Denmark and both Holland have decided to do what they're doing. We seem to be now more content to bring cooked, vacuum-packed chicken from China and feed people in Europe with it than have the chicken in Europe. We seem to be now more content to bring, be it beef or other products, because of the methane out of cattle. I am asking you, Ms Tániste, and I'm also asking the teacher, when European leaders meet or when you meet together, can this madness be halted, what's going on? Because we are taking prime land out of production in Europe. And we still think of Covid, and we still think of self-sufficiency. And at the same time, we are going to fly it or boat it. And I thought it was the same world we lived in, that the cow puts up the same meat in or she farts the same in some other part of the world, rather than in Europe. So, why are we doing this to the farmers of Europe? I have always admired your bluntness, Deputy. So, a couple of points. I mean, firstly, Las Concorda, I think, and I say this respectfully, I think we have to be, we do have to be considered in our comments around trade, right? And you know this, and I don't need to be telling you this or your constituents this, but about 90% of the agri-food we're producing in this country that we're exporting. And we do just need to understand, again, I'm not suggesting you don't, but I do think we need to bring into the public debate that we want to have a kind of trade situation where we can sell our product anywhere but no one else can sell theirs here. And that's not what you said, but that is a natural outworking as well. We do have to be conscious that if we want to continue to sell Irish produce right across the world, as we proudly do, we also need to understand that trade is two-way and that that is going to mean continuing to engage in trade agreements. So, I think we have to start having earlier and honest conversations with farmers, because it always seems that the conversation for the farmer comes at the end of the trade deal. And I think that's mistaken, and I've said that to the Trade Commissioner. We should be engaging much earlier with the farming community to understand and address those issues earlier on. But we also have to be honest. I think, I think the figures have been or are about to be published, but I think about 21 billion euro we probably made in agri-food exports in the last year, 21 billion euro. And that's based on selling our stuff to other places, right? So, the natural outworking of that is we need to allow people to sell their stuff into the European Union. It is that two-way relationship, and this country is a small, open economy that is extraordinarily reliant on trade. I still think we can do better, though, better in engaging and addressing the views of farmers and agri-food producers earlier on as well. The second point I'd make on land in general, I mean, I do agree with you on this. We can't have a situation where the farmer is held up as the kind of bogeyman for the climate emergency. It's not fair, it's not true, and actually we see really good progress being made in agriculture. And instead of lecturing farmers, we have to work with them, and we also have to incentivise them. We have to make sure they can continue to make a living, and that we can continue to support the family farm. And that brings me to things like the nature restoration law. Anything to do with that will be voluntary, voluntary, voluntary. Cannot use cap funding. But it is up to farmers to choose whether they want to pursue it or not. And we do need to support our farmers. As we've come through, again, and you're very knowledgeable on this, but we've come through and are coming through a very difficult flooding situation. Things like adaptation and how we use state lands in the first instance to provide better resilience, I think, is going to be really, really important to rural and indeed to urban communities as well. We've got to support our farmers, support them financially in making the transitions that need to be made, but also support them in participating, whether it's in acres, whether it's in the areas of a natural constraint scheme as well, supporting them in nature, biodiversity and environment, support them through the forestry sector with funding of 93 million allocated this year, an increase on last year. And work with them in partnership and recognise that farming isn't some sort of discretionary extra or hobby. It's the crucial backbone of the Irish indigenous economy. I do agree with that. I do passionately believe that. And I think we need to make sure in the next European budget, and we'll obviously have the presidency in the second half of this year, that that's reflected in the priorities for the European budget also. Mr. Morris. I never said I was totally opposed to trade deals. You've got to bring in bananas and other things from some other countries. There's no one saying that. The question I am asking, is it not an alarm to all European leaders? And by the way, Irish exports, you know, if you look at the stats of Irish exports, most of them goes to Europe and to the UK, especially in the line of our beef. Is it not alarming that if policy was right, just think of this, if policy was right in industry, if policy was right in agriculture, figures have gone up in industry and people working, with 5.5 million farms lost in Europe, we are saying to farmers, right, I'll give you an example. I spoke to a farmer yesterday in Denmark, he's an organic farmer, oh, he's a big organic farmer in my book, because he had something like over 300 cows, but he's doing organic. Now, that's the best type of farming if you want to be the perfect student in the class, and he's been taken out. And then we're going to probably replace him with someone that can shove a bit of a hormone or medicines into an animal that is banned in Europe. Does that make sense? This is what I'm saying. Where is the focus, and can leaders reset the agenda that's going on? Because, in my opinion, countries are under pressure because they have to hit this target. So once we hit the target, we're the best kids in the class. That's what seems to be the thing. And whatever sacrifice we have to make, if we have to bring it and be the salesperson for it, it's sound, providing we don't produce it. That's the worry I have in my throat, Juro. Thanks, Stephanie. I suppose I have enough challenge answering for the actions of the Irish government without answering for the actions of the Danish government. And what I would like to assure Irish farmers, though, is that the policies being pursued by different European governments won't be reflective of the policies being pursued by the Irish government. Anything we do in this space in relation to nature restoration will be done in partnership, will be done in collaboration, will be done on a voluntary basis. And I want to be really clear on that. I want to reassure farmers in Ireland it's voluntary, voluntary, voluntary. I also want to say to farmers, as we approach the next cap, the cap money can't be used for that. And I also want to say to them that one of the issues that I hear, and I think this is a European-wide issue, and the loss of 5.5 million per cent is a very serious economic issue of concern for Europe. I agree with you. I mean, this is our indigenous industry that we should be protecting. But I also want to say that we have to make sure that we reduce the bureaucracy around the schemes, because, indeed, as I talk to farmers in Ireland, and as I hear from colleagues across the European Union, one of the reasons why actually people opt out often in the schemes is they feel it's not worth their while. Too much bureaucracy, too many checks, too much red tape. Along with making sure we get a decent-sized budget the next time, in terms of cap and other supports for farmers, we also have to make sure that simplification isn't just something reserved for foreign indigenous companies, but also it's something that Europe applies to its farmers, including Irish farmers. Thank you.
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