Following the European Parliament elections in June, ICOS held a briefing morning for Irish MEPs in its Brussels office in October, Organised in conjunction with IFA Brussels, the breakfast briefing was supported by Dairy Sustainability Ireland and Meat Industry Ireland.
ICOS President Edward Carr and IFA Deputy President Alice Doyle welcomed the MEPs and other invited guests to the meeting which was also attended by members of the IFA Environment Committee. Bord Bia and Teagasc were also invited to give an overview of their roles. John Murray from Bord Bia presented a detailed analysis of Irish global food exports while Stan Lalor of Teagasc outlined the improvements being made by the Irish Agrifood sector to decarbonize and improve water quality.
Kevin Maher of DSI and Dale Crammond of MII gave presentations on the positive economic impact or the Irish dairy and livestock sectors in rural Ireland. ICOS Agrifood executive Eamonn Farrell also presented the MEPs with details of the recently launched collaboration between farm organisations to retain the nitrates derogation. The two-hour event was concluded with a question-and-answer session between MEPs and the sector experts.
Along with ICOS President, the chairpersons of Tirlan John Murphy, Lakeland Dairies Niall Matthews and Dairygold Sean O’Brien were also in attendance. Later in the day this group met with the Damien Flynn Agriculture Counsel and Noel Regan Environment Counsel in the Irish Perm Rep. The days events concluded with a meeting with outgoing EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness in her offices at the Berlaymont building where there was an exchange of views on the big challenges facing Irish farming including the dairy sector. The ICOS delegation also told the MEPs, civil servants and Commissioner McGuinness about the importance of retaining the nitrates derogation beyond 2025.
The group also met with the new Secretary General of COPA and COGECA (umbrella representative organization for farm groups and co-operatives) Elli Tsiforou and her team and heard about the big challenges and opportunities facing European farming over the cycle of the new Parliament and Commission.