Up to 70% of Ireland’s drained farmed peatlands, up to 210,000ha, could be subject to measures such as rewetting by 2050.
This is under a new nature restoration law proposed by DG Environment at the European Commission.
The draft law, seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, states that for drained peatlands under agricultural use, member states shall put in place, without delay, restoration measures, including rewetting, on at least:
30% of such areas by 2030, of which at least a quarter is rewetted.50% of such areas by 2040, of which at least half is rewetted.70% of such areas by 2050, of which at least half is rewetted.Ireland has around 300,000ha of these drained farmed peatlands around the country. These proposals would result in around 105,000ha of drained farmland being rewetted by 2050 – an area bigger than Louth.
Ireland’s other peatlands are also targeted for restoration measures under the law.
Outside of rewetting, the other measures cited in the proposed law include:
Ceasing the ploughing of grassland.“Promoting wilderness”.Stopping or reducing chemical inputs to farmland.The extensification of grazing. Reducing the intensity of mowing.Implementing crop rotations.Ireland would also be required under the law to show “continuously increasing trends” in the population of farmland pollinators and the carbon content of mineral tillage soils on non-Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated lands, as part of the “concrete and measurable” reporting on the law’s progress.
The Commission stated in its proposal that ecosystem-specific and legally-binding nature restoration targets were necessary for the timely reversal of biodiversity loss across the EU, with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 committing to putting such targets in place.
The law would also grant the EU the “necessary credibility” it needs to “lead” the movement for improved biodiversity in an international context, the document explains.
The Commission has also said that the impact assessment informing the law gave an indication that the monetised carbon sequestration potential of the peatlands targeted for rewetting under the law was some 250% of the restoration costs.
The impact assessment also concluded that “insufficient evidence” had been gathered to place monetary values on the expected financial benefits to restoration practices recommended, such as the cessation of grassland ploughing or the restoration of semi-natural vegetation on farms.
The restoration of farmland birds and pollinators featured strongly in the proposed methodology for assessing the success of biodiversity measures.
The Commission said it will develop guidance on the restoration measures between 2022 and 2024
The law would see member states that have non-historically-depleted populations of farmland birds to increase the value of the common farmland bird index some 15% by 2050.
The Commission said it will develop guidance on the restoration measures between 2022 and 2024, and it expects the law will come into force in 2024.
The EU Commisson’s proposals would see Ireland obliged, under law, to put into action a range of restoration measures across Natura 2000 designated lands “without delay”.
There are over 30,000 farmers farming land in designated areas in Ireland
Restoration measures, including rewetting, are proposed for implementation across 30% of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs) by 2030, with this coverage to be increased to 90% in later years. There are over 30,000 farmers farming land in designated areas in Ireland.
Ireland would be required to show that the proportion of habitats in favourable condition in these SAC and SPA is continually increasing, with an objective of the law to have each of the farming-impacted species listed as protected in the Habitats Directive reaching stable or increasing conservation status by 2050 at the latest.
The law’s impact assessment has also recommended putting rewetting measures into action “as rapidly as technically feasible” across SACs.
Member states’ measures must have “special regard” for connectivity between protected areas, allowing for populations to move between conservation areas.
Ireland will have to submit a draft restoration plan within two years of the regulation’s passing under the proposed law
A geographic distribution of measure implementation was also referenced as an essential component of each state’s national plan.
Ireland will have to submit a draft restoration plan within two years of the regulation’s passing under the proposed law.
This plan will include details of the area-specific, time-bound measures which would see Ireland reach the targets set out under the proposed regulation.
Another purpose of the plan would be the identification of farm subsidies which have been deemed as harmful to the environment by member states, as these payments could prevent restoration targets from being reached, according to the documents seen by the Irish Farmers Journal.
Each member state will also be required to report on the progress of their implementation of the restoration measures and their monitoring programmes every three years.
The first of these reports is due for submission in 2026 or 2027, under the Commission’s expected timeline for the regulation.
Up to 70% of Ireland’s drained farmed peatlands, up to 210,000ha, could be subject to measures such as rewetting by 2050.
This is under a new nature restoration law proposed by DG Environment at the European Commission.
The draft law, seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, states that for drained peatlands under agricultural use, member states shall put in place, without delay, restoration measures, including rewetting, on at least:
30% of such areas by 2030, of which at least a quarter is rewetted.50% of such areas by 2040, of which at least half is rewetted.70% of such areas by 2050, of which at least half is rewetted.Ireland has around 300,000ha of these drained farmed peatlands around the country. These proposals would result in around 105,000ha of drained farmland being rewetted by 2050 – an area bigger than Louth.
Ireland’s other peatlands are also targeted for restoration measures under the law.
Outside of rewetting, the other measures cited in the proposed law include:
Ceasing the ploughing of grassland.“Promoting wilderness”.Stopping or reducing chemical inputs to farmland.The extensification of grazing. Reducing the intensity of mowing.Implementing crop rotations.Ireland would also be required under the law to show “continuously increasing trends” in the population of farmland pollinators and the carbon content of mineral tillage soils on non-Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated lands, as part of the “concrete and measurable” reporting on the law’s progress.
The Commission stated in its proposal that ecosystem-specific and legally-binding nature restoration targets were necessary for the timely reversal of biodiversity loss across the EU, with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 committing to putting such targets in place.
The law would also grant the EU the “necessary credibility” it needs to “lead” the movement for improved biodiversity in an international context, the document explains.
The Commission has also said that the impact assessment informing the law gave an indication that the monetised carbon sequestration potential of the peatlands targeted for rewetting under the law was some 250% of the restoration costs.
The impact assessment also concluded that “insufficient evidence” had been gathered to place monetary values on the expected financial benefits to restoration practices recommended, such as the cessation of grassland ploughing or the restoration of semi-natural vegetation on farms.
The restoration of farmland birds and pollinators featured strongly in the proposed methodology for assessing the success of biodiversity measures.
The Commission said it will develop guidance on the restoration measures between 2022 and 2024
The law would see member states that have non-historically-depleted populations of farmland birds to increase the value of the common farmland bird index some 15% by 2050.
The Commission said it will develop guidance on the restoration measures between 2022 and 2024, and it expects the law will come into force in 2024.
The EU Commisson’s proposals would see Ireland obliged, under law, to put into action a range of restoration measures across Natura 2000 designated lands “without delay”.
There are over 30,000 farmers farming land in designated areas in Ireland
Restoration measures, including rewetting, are proposed for implementation across 30% of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs) by 2030, with this coverage to be increased to 90% in later years. There are over 30,000 farmers farming land in designated areas in Ireland.
Ireland would be required to show that the proportion of habitats in favourable condition in these SAC and SPA is continually increasing, with an objective of the law to have each of the farming-impacted species listed as protected in the Habitats Directive reaching stable or increasing conservation status by 2050 at the latest.
The law’s impact assessment has also recommended putting rewetting measures into action “as rapidly as technically feasible” across SACs.
Member states’ measures must have “special regard” for connectivity between protected areas, allowing for populations to move between conservation areas.
Ireland will have to submit a draft restoration plan within two years of the regulation’s passing under the proposed law
A geographic distribution of measure implementation was also referenced as an essential component of each state’s national plan.
Ireland will have to submit a draft restoration plan within two years of the regulation’s passing under the proposed law.
This plan will include details of the area-specific, time-bound measures which would see Ireland reach the targets set out under the proposed regulation.
Another purpose of the plan would be the identification of farm subsidies which have been deemed as harmful to the environment by member states, as these payments could prevent restoration targets from being reached, according to the documents seen by the Irish Farmers Journal.
Each member state will also be required to report on the progress of their implementation of the restoration measures and their monitoring programmes every three years.
The first of these reports is due for submission in 2026 or 2027, under the Commission’s expected timeline for the regulation.
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