It is unrealistic to propose that CAP funding would be the main funding used to progress targets and regulations under the Nature Restoration proposal, according to Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue.
All EU financing instruments must be utilised, and mechanisms to facilitate private funding should also be examined, he said, speaking at a European Council meeting today.
Last June, the Council adopted the proposal as "a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030" which sets out legally binding targets to restore 20pc of the EU’s land and sea area by 2030 and all degraded ecosystems by 2050.
Ireland recognises the need to protect and restore biodiversity and supports the proposal, the Minister said.
"It is clear that it gives rise to many challenges from the perspectives of agriculture, forestry and the marine, not least in the context of the need to ensure food security and support rural and coastal communities."
He also said a number of conditions of the proposal require "detailed consideration" and further engagement is needed "to ensure that targets set are appropriate and meaningful and do not adversely impact the food sector."
The setting of specific targets beyond 2030, in the absence of robust and reliable data needs to be carefully considered, he said.
When it comes to forestry, the different composition of forests across Member States needs to be considered, said McConalogue.
According to research, more than 80pc of the EU’s habitats are in poor condition, yet healthy ecosystems are vital to the EU’s economy, help ensure food security and play an important role in the fight against climate change.
The Nature Restoration proposal combines overarching goals for long-term nature recovery with binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species including wetlands, rivers, forests, grasslands and marine ecosystems.
To achieve these goals, EU Member States must put in place national restoration plans tailored to the specific conditions in their countries.
The proposal also contains a number of provisions that are relevant to the farming, forestry and fisheries sectors including requirements for Members States to restore agricultural, marine and freshwater ecosystems, reverse the decline of pollinators and monitor biodiversity in farmland and forest areas.
Restoration measures for organic soils in agricultural use constituting drained peatlands must be put in place in at least 30pc of such areas by 2030, of which at least a quarter shall be rewetted; 50 pc of such areas by 2040, of which at least half shall be rewetted; and 70pc of such areas by 2050, of which at least half shall be rewetted.
Rewetting measures in areas of peat extraction sites will be seen as contributing to achieving these targets.
