IFA Reaction to Outcome on Nature Restoration Law

IFA President Francie Gorman said a vacuum of information still exists around the Nature Restoration Law.

Today’s vote in the European Parliament gives the law a very weak mandate, with less than 50% of the elected MEPs voting for it. This reflects the genuine concerns that have been raised. These must be addressed when it moves to Member States for implementation.

“Even though legitimate farmer concerns have not been adequately addressed, the EU has pushed ahead with the introduction of the NRL. This will not reassure farmers about the impact of the NRL,” he said.

“Farmers are doing more to support nature than any other sector of society. 12-14% of the space on our farms is ‘space for nature’. While there have been some important changes to the Commission version of the NRL, the law is still flawed,” he said.

IFA and COPA lobbied hard to introduce many important amendments to the original proposal from the Commission.

However, despite these efforts, fundamental concerns remain regarding the proposed regulation that have not been addressed. 

These include (i) a lack of clarity on the requirements and impact of certain definitions, (ii) uncertainty on the potential impact on farmland and production and (iii) the lack of dedicated funding to support the implementation of regulation.

The recent farmer protests across Member States have highlighted the frustration with particular legislation and legislative proposals that do not reflect the true environmental, economic and social sustainability impact on EU food producers.