Final week, the German Bundestag agreed to modifications to manure laws. In line with German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, it’s an ‘necessary step in direction of a system through which the polluter pays’.
Some areas in Germany have been scuffling with excessive nitrate air pollution of their waters for years. Areas with intensive livestock farming or intensive vegetable cultivation particularly are categorized as ‘crimson areas’. As early as 2013, our japanese neighbors had been ordered by the European Fee to adjust to the nitrate directive. A yr later, the nation’s agricultural sector misplaced the derogation.
The stress on the Bundestag to comply with the change within the legislation was nice. Final yr, the federal authorities was capable of stop an infringement process from the European Fee. There was a danger of retroactive fines of a couple of million euros per day. To finish the infringement process, the European Fee anticipated a major revision of the fertilizer legislation.
Do not ignore actuality
‘Definitely given the tight price range, nobody can have an curiosity in paying exorbitant fines to Brussels. We may higher use the cash to help our agriculture. Our frequent curiosity is sweet framework circumstances for agriculture and we will solely create these by not ignoring actuality,” stated Ozdemir.
Particularly given the tight price range, nobody can have an curiosity in paying exorbitant fines to Brussels
German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir
In line with the agriculture minister, nitrate air pollution in Germany is the results of insufficient laws previously, regional low groundwater ranges and an absence of enforcement. He guarantees that the brand new manure laws will include much less paperwork. He additionally hopes to regain the boldness of farmers.
Ozdemir: ‘Farmers should be capable to plan reliably and handle effectively. The years-long nitrate battle with Brussels has had the alternative impact. We at the moment are laying the muse for dependable fertilizer laws that strengthen the polluter pays precept. Those that fertilize excessively and endanger the setting will probably be held extra accountable sooner or later and people who don’t could have their burdens eased.”
Extra differentiation
The brand new manure legislation, which nonetheless requires additional elaboration, will guarantee stricter enforcement and extra differentiation within the necessities for corporations in polluted areas. Ozdemir needs, amongst different issues, to make the nutrient flows on agricultural corporations clear and controllable and to provide farmers the chance to optimally handle them at firm stage.
Sooner or later, agricultural corporations from 15 hectares in dimension should hold observe of their nutrient flows. Till now, this obligation solely utilized to farms bigger than 20 hectares or 50 livestock items (LU).
