Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Wehrheim. The information with which we have been provided is going to prove important in the context of our report. I wish to point out that some members have been obliged to leave the meeting in order to attend proceedings in the Dáil and Seanad, which is our Upper House.

The fact that three areas of the Commission, namely, the environment, agriculture and climate, and in a wider context we could possibly include transport, are grouped together is important in trying to make everybody realise that with a greener Common Agricultural Policy, if it is implemented in terms of its objectives, agricultural production will definitely be achieved in a more sustainable manner within the EU and in a way that is very cognisant of the environment. In Ireland, where we have 2020 greenhouse gas targets that were set some years ago, greenhouse gas emissions output from agriculture form a very high percentage of our overall emissions, as we, unlike some other member states, do not have heavy industry. It is a simplistic objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in the national context. If we do that, we will curb our potential under Food Harvest 2020.

The motivation behind this body of work was to examine how those two seemingly irreconcilable targets work together and how can we make that happen. We are trying to raise awareness that by simply curbing agricultural output in Ireland to meet a target figure, we will not achieve an improvement globally or even in the EU in reducing greenhouse gas emissions or in climate change mitigation. Forestry is a very valuable part of the equation but it is not the only one. It is important that this conservation has taken place with the representatives from the Commission's three sectors in the one room and that they have heard our arguments. I anticipate that our position will be robustly articulated by our Minister and officials over there as well.

For instance, Scotland has a climate change Bill, to which there is a land use policy module. A member of our Library and Research Service attended a conference on it. We could bring in a land use policy with a climate change module, but we are doing it slightly differently. I think the representatives get the picture of what it is that we are trying to inform and convince the people of, namely, that we need to consider the way agriculture contributes to the Irish economy, not in a simplistic manner, and that with a green Common Agricultural Policy, agriculture does so sustainably. It provides, be it in areas of high nature value or other areas, other good services to the public which should be rewarded in some way.

In the context of the age profile of farmers, one of the main implementation objectives is land mobility, not ownership, that is, that land comes under the control of younger trained people with a business focus and also with a very strong sustainable production mindset. I hope that summarises what we are trying to do. If there are any comments on that, I would welcome them. I thank the representatives for giving of their time this morning.