CLA backs Efra Select Committee’s criticism of Defra on Nitrates Directive

The CLA says it supports many of the conclusions of the Efra Select Committee's analysis of the Nitrates Directive.

The rural economy experts believe that the committee was right to criticise the Directive in a number of areas including:

The Committee's questioning of the scientific basis of the nitrates limits specified in the Directive,
Its concern that Defra's proposals would place a considerable financial burden on livestock and dairy farmers at a time when they are ill-equipped to meet these costs, and
The Committee's suggestion that Defra should ask the Treasury for enhanced tax allowances for the construction of slurry storage facilities.

The CLA also called for Defra to:

to do a proper cost-benefit analysis including consideration of disproportionate cost,
seek the go-ahead from the European Commission for a derogation to the livestock manure limit of 170kgs N/ha/yr and also allow farmers to apply Nitrogen to crop growth requirements at this time of global food shortages,
recalibrate the storage requirements to meet the actual storage needed for individual farms rather than adopting a standard five-month period, and
confirm that digestate will be treated in the same way as other fertilisers and not made subject to proposed manure regulation.

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "The CLA agrees with the Committee's findings that this is a flawed Directive and the European Commission should ensure that lessons are learned.

"We hope that Defra will rethink the implementation of the proposed Action Programme measures, particularly those relating to manure storage, in the light of this long list of improvements suggested by the Efra Select Committee and the CLA's comments and will strenuously work with European partners towards a revision of the unscientific 50mg limit."

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Oliver Wilson, Communications Director, 020 7460 7936 or 07702 928828, ollie.wilson@cla.org.uk,

Phillippa Coates, Press Officer, 020 7460 7934, phillippa.coates@cla.org.uk

Out of hours duty phone: 020 7201 9511.

Contact

Derek Holliday
Head of Environment

Lead adviser on European and national environmental issues including water quality (Water Framework Directive, Catchment Sensitive Farming, Nitrates Directive), water resources, fluvial and coastal defence, soil resource, climate change and fisheries.

T: 020 7235 0511
F: 020 7235 4696
derek.holliday@cla.org.uk

Media Contacts

Ollie Wilson
Director of Communications

T: 020 7460 7936
F: 020 7460 7962
ollie.wilson@cla.org.uk

Lisa O'Brien
National Press Officer

T: 020 7460 7934
lisa.obrien@cla.org.uk

Out of hours: 020 7201 9511

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