Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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195. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that farming organisations have not been engaged with by his Department in relation to the EU Nature Restoration Law proposal; if he intends to carry out an economic impact assessment of the proposals contained within the document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53749/22]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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196. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on concerns that the sustainability of food production in Ireland would be negatively affected should land be put out of use through the implementation of measures contained within the EU Nature Restoration Law proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53750/22]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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198. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the additional proposed changes demanded of the agriculture sector in relation to the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law; his views on the way that this may further distort the unequal relationship between Ireland through trade agreements between the EU and third-party countries who may not have similar environmental aspirations as those proposed in the EU Nature Restoration Law; his views on the consequences of this for producers in the Irish agricultural industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53752/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 195, 196 and 198 together.

The proposed Nature Restoration Law was formally adopted by the European Commission in late June.

The proposals set out legally binding targets in the form of a regulation which will have direct effect across a broad range of ecosystem types, both terrestrial and marine. These proposed targets would require restoration of substantial percentages of these ecosystems to good ecological status by set dates.

The Commission’s proposals are now being discussed by the European Parliament and the Council. It is expected that discussions at Council and European Parliament level will run well into 2023 before the final Regulation is agreed.

As currently worded, the proposed Regulation has the potential to impact across a number of Irish Government Departments, including my own Department. In developing positions on EU proposals, I have always been conscious that we not jeopardise Ireland's ability to produce safe, nutritious and sustainable food, something that we are rightly proud of.

In respect to engagement, I have ongoing engagement with farm bodies across all new and emerging environmental requirements and the nature restoration law is but one of these emerging environmental ambitions. The EU must also enhance and ensure coherence between EU trade policy which applies to imported agri-food products and EU environmental and sectoral policies which apply to EU agriculture producers.

Given that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are responsible for co-ordinating Ireland’s response to the proposals, my officials will continue to engage with that Department as well as farm families' representatives as these proposals progress.