Cowen welcomes defeat of 'flawed' EU nature restoration law

OFFALY TD Barry Cowen has welcomed what he called the “defeat” of EU nature restoration proposals by the European Parliament's agriculture and fisheries committees.

Both committees voted against the EU Proposal for a Regulation on Nature Restoration (2022/0195) which has been strongly opposed by farmers' organisations in Ireland.

A key element of the plan is rewetting reclaimed farmland and prior to the vote by the committees, Deputy Cowen said the proposed EU law smacked of cultural imperialism by Brussels.

“This proposal for a new law had become mired at Commission and European Parliament level with politics. For Ireland, the proposals did not reflect the circumstances of Irish land usage, especially now in cities and towns where land is required for housing. The proposals reflected a Europe where neither economies nor populations are growing, unlike Ireland where we remain a driver of development and population in the EU,” said the Fianna Fail TD for Laois-Offaly.

“The proposals did not take account of differing cultural phenomena in member countries, differing land use circumstances, differing population patterns, differing growth trajectories, differing housing needs. It was very remiss of the Government that there had not been a Dail and Seanad debate on the proposed new law.

“If the matter is to be revisited again and I don't expect so before the [2024 European Parliament] elections, any law proposed needs to reflect regional needs, one size will not fit all of Europe. Also it cannot be done at the expense of future farming generations. Kicking the can down the road to after 2050 is just cowardly and condemning future Irish farm families.

“The Government should state that Ireland will remain a regional power to decide on the extent of rewetting of all lands, including reclaimed lands. In any future proposals, Dail and Seanad resolutions must come first before the Government engage anew with the EU Commission on the Nature Restoration Law. Regional power needs to be retained to assess housing lands in towns and cities. Our local authorities have just drawn up new development plans for the next periods of time. These were done to meet housing needs and should not be significantly interfered with now by any future EU law on planting or Commission green space proposals. Ireland needs that flexibility on housing to remain an engine for the EU on growth and population.”