MEP's Back UFU Red Tape Fight on IPPC

The UFU has been raising concerns about the potential broadening of the scope of IPPC to cover many more smaller pig, turkey and poultry farms. This could mean more cost and red tape for these businesses.

MEP Jim Allister (second from left) with UFU Pork and Bacon Chairman Norman Robson, Poultry Chairman Thomas Douglas and President Graham Furey.

This is a very important issue for the UFU and in the past week it has briefed local MEP’s Jim Allister and Jim Nicholson at UFU Headquarters on this issue.

UFU President Graham Furey said, "In effect this is industrial scale legislation being forced onto small family farms in Northern Ireland and it doesn’t fit. We are lobbying for the best possible outcome to keep costs and paperwork to a minimum for our members. It would also have the effect of driving up food costs, a key message to our political representatives."

If agreed, the new IPPC proposals could see any birth to bacon pig farms with more than 118 sows; turkey farms with more than 11,500 birds; and poultry laying flocks of greater than 30,000 birds, coming under the rules. The issue will be going to vote in the EU Parliament and the UK NFU’s are working in a co-ordinated way to secure the support of as many MEP’s on this issue as possible.

The Directive currently covers industries such as energy generation, ferrous metal production, extraction and mining, the chemicals industry and waste management. It currently covers pig and poultry producers who have over 750 sows or 2,000 finishing pigs over 30Kgor 40,000 poultry.

New proposals could also see on farm feed mills fall under the controls. The purpose of IPPC is to prevent and control emissions to soil, air, water and to limit smell and noise concerns from "installations. The next stage for voting is at the plenary in Strasbourg on March 11.

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