Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Regulation on Nature Restoration: European Commission

Photo of Marian HarkinMarian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the director. I met Dr. Delgado Rosa in Brussels just a few weeks ago, when we discussed this very issue. One of the things I remember him saying in that discussion was that, up to 2040, a lot of the requirements for draining peatlands could be met by areas that were perhaps already afforested or other types of drained peatlands. I mistakenly thought that meant 50% but, of course, it actually means 30%, and Dr. Delgado Rosa clarified today that it is just exclusively up to 2030 that the requirements from this proposed regulation would apply. That is a very important point that I will come back to shortly. The requirements could be met by looking at our drained peatlands and peaty lands under afforestation, if the Government were to decide to do that.

This is a draft regulation. It is important that we recognise this is not a final document and it will be shaped by the Parliament and the Council over the next period. I think that is where there can be influence, and perhaps the final document may not be the same document that we have here - in fact, it will not be, but how different it will be remains to be seen.

What countries objected to this draft proposal when it was put forward in the public domain? Are those countries still maintaining objections? Which are they and are they still maintaining them?

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