ICSA President Dermot Kelleher has said the lack of consultation around the Nature Restoration Law was causing alarm among farmers and was a “prime example of the complete disregard” at EU level for the implementation at local level.
Mr Kelleher said farmers had no objection to protecting nature and enhancing biodiversity but their livelihoods would have to be supported.
“Farmers here are willing to engage – and they are willing to do their bit – but they are not being listened to at EU level,” he said.
“We are talking about hard working people here who have worked the land for generations, and they deserve more than being railroaded off their land”.
Concluding, the ICSA President said: “Even more alarming is the cavalier attitude at EU Commission level that believes all of this can be delivered without any dedicated EU funding mechanism.
“For all of these reasons, ICSA supports the position of MEPs who have voted against this, in its current format, and we are calling for proper engagement before this proceeds any further”.
