Irish MEP: EU Environment commissioner 'planning to visit Ireland'
An Irish MEP has said that the European Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswall is planning to visit Ireland in the autumn as part of engagement on nitrates and water quality.
Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry was speaking after a meeting with the commissioner yesterday (Tuesday, July 8) to discus the "importance of Ireland retaining the nitrates derogation".
The meeting comes as the fallout continues from the revelation that Ireland will have to demonstrate compliance with the EU's Habitat Directive when granting a nitrates derogation.
There are fears that many family dairy farms and the wider dairy sector is at risk due to these developments.
According to Carberry, she and Commissioner Roswall discussed Ireland's next Nitrates Action Programme (NAP), and the Irish MEP told Commissioner Roswall that Ireland is taking "impactful measures" to improve water quality.
Carberry said that she called on the environment commissioner to provide further clarification following this week's development.
The Midlands-North-West MEP said that she outlined to the commissioner that the most recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report acknowledged a 10% reduction national reduction in river nitrate concentrations during 2024.
Carberry said: "Progress on improving water quality will not happen overnight, and the commissioner understands this.
"So we have to outline strongly what we are doing through the NAP to persuade the commission to continue granting our nitrates derogation."
According to Carberry, Commissioner Roswall - who is from the same EU political party, the European People's Party (EPP), as Carberry, as Fine Gael is one of its member parties - is planning to visit Ireland in the autumn as part of ongoing engagement on nitrates and water quality.
"The establishment of a Cabinet Committee on Water Quality last year marked a key commitment to ensuring the value of retaining our derogation. Farmers are doing their bit to improve water quality, and it is vital that we continue to support them in those efforts," Carberry said.
