Over the past years, the European Commission had given the Irish an opportunity to restore the quality of groundwater and rural ditches, but Ireland failed to reverse the deterioration of water quality.
The adjustment will therefore take effect in just a few months. The Irish Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue, like his German and Dutch counterparts before him, unsuccessfully tried to secure a ‘transition year’ from Brussels.
Previously, other EU countries such as Germany and the Netherlands also lost their manure derogation. In recent months, the Irish dairy sector has tried to obtain new exemptions, but Brussels has made it clear this will not happen.
According to sources in the dairy industry, the EU criteria could lead to the culling of tens of thousands of cows. Sinkevicius emphasized during talks with Irish Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and agricultural unions that the size of their herd can also be reduced by gradually not replacing old or deceased cows.
The expected shrinkage of the herd will not only affect Irish milk production but also farmers’ income. The Irish government will now face the challenge of offsetting the loss of the manure derogation while simultaneously finding sustainable solutions to the environmental problems.