NEGOTIATIONS ARE continuing to ease the proposed restrictions on farmers who may soon have to carry out environmental impact studies before undertaking certain work on their farms.
Farmers are objecting to the regulations, which would see practically all land improvement work coming under the approval process as it covers any development “likely to have significant effects on the environment”.
Of major concern to farmers is the fact that anyone has the right to object to an application or approval. This has been dubbed “a cranks’ charter” by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said this week he had contacted EU agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos to seek an easing of the regulation on Irish farms, which will have to be agreed by the EU.
He said he had received a sympathetic hearing from the commissioner and would be meeting farming and other groups to discuss the issues.
The EU has been driving the implementation of such controls and the Government, specifically Mr Coveney and Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, has the task of putting the regulations in place. It has until September 9th to agree them with the commission.
The IFA has demanded that any farmer who wants to carry out necessary farm maintenance should not be restricted or forced to apply for consent to do the work.
It has demanded that any new thresholds which may be introduced must be high enough to ensure that consents and environmental impact studies are not required for farm restructuring.
The IFA has also said that farmers who are cutting turf on their own land should not have to apply to county councils for permission.
It said objections should not be allowed and the consent process should suffice. Observations should be restricted to State bodies.
It added that a fee should be charged for objections to prevent “crank” objectors.