Radan Kanev, rapporteur. – Madam President, I won’t take two minutes, I’ll put it very briefly. I urge you, colleagues, to support the trilogue agreement reached by the Ϸվ and the Council.
First of all, because institutionally, we do not break our agreements. We insist on our political credibility. Second, because it was a very successful agreement for the Ϸվ and no one doubted it when we achieved it – it passed practically unanimously through the respective parliamentary committee. And I really hope for your support.
It is a very, very difficult balance between the health of our citizens and our environment, the competitiveness of our industry and, last but not least, of course, the interests of our farmers. But it is not an agricultural file, it is an industrial file affecting each and every European citizen through the toxic emissions and his health.
And of course, we are facing the farmers’ protests now. And of course, we need to answer. And we have a very strong review clause in the legislation for 2026. And that is why I am really looking at the European Commission and calling on the Commissioner first to explain the many options we gave to Member States to make the life of farmers easier with the present revision of the IED, but also to explain what the vision of the Commission for the future review of the legislation is.
Virginijus Sinkevičius,Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, the Commission is acutely sensitive to the importance of this law for livestock farming communities. So, the revision represents a major simplification and burden reduction opportunities for farmers. Only the 30% of the largest industrial-scale pig and poultry farms would be in the scope of the revised directive, with the 70% smaller pig and poultry farms, all cattle farms, as well as all organic pig farms out of the scope. The standards for pig- and poultry-rearing will defined in direct cooperation with the sector and farmers will have a long time to adapt, as the requirements will only become applicable between 2030 and 2032. The Commission will report by the end of 2026 to the European Ϸվ and the Council, including regarding potential measures and imported products.
Honourable Members, let me be very clear: farms differ in their size, origins of their emissions, and means and resources to reduce such emissions in comparison to industrial installations. Due to the disparities between the industrial and the agricultural sector, and in light of the report, the Commission will evaluate the interplay with other agricultural legislation and will endeavour to separate the directive into two respective legal instruments.
Turning now to the industrial side of the directive, this revision is key to support the green and digital transition of industry, ass the trilogue agreement provides for key flexibilities to test and deploy innovative techniques and for incentives to deploy net-zero technologies. It establishes an electronic permitting system, promotes hydrogen production, and provides a clear governance for key metals, mining and giga battery factories. So the trilogue agreement also includes a new derogation possibility for cases of big crisis, such as COVID or war in Ukraine. To conclude the revision, it’s urgently needed to build a predictable and simplified regulatory environment, favourable to investments, contributing to use clean and circular economy objectives.