The Environmental Pillar has welcomed the call from the Irish Farmers’ Association in its election manifesto for a separate EU environment fund, in addition to the CAP, to support environmental action on farms.
The Environmental Pillar has been consistent in its calls for new funding in addition to CAP to empower farmers to restore nature, including through the implementation of an EU Nature Restoration Law. In its pre-Budget statement last September, the Environmental Pillar called for the establishment of a Climate and Nature Restoration Fund in Budget 2024.
Specifically, the Environmental Pillar called for the Government to ensure that spending on nature over the next four years (2024-2027) amounts to a minimum of €2bn (outside of CAP payments).
That extra funding would provide for
- Financial and practical assistance to farmers for nature restoration
- Increased personnel in state agencies with expertise in climate, ecology and other related sciences and expertise.
- Increased funding for training in nature-based solutions
A nature restoration fund could serve as a catalyst for the rejuvenation of our natural world, the revitalization of rural and coastal economies, and the provision of crucial public amenities. Given the consensus between environmentalists and farmers this is something that all candidates in the European and Local Elections should support.
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