Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-12-Speech-1-158"
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"en.20071112.20.1-158"2
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"Madam President, I came to this debate from the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, where we rejected the proposal for a directive. I favour the Prodi strategy with some reservations.
All of us want our soils protected, but I think those of us who are concerned about this directive believe that it is not necessary to do it in this way. Mr van Nistelrooij pointed out a much better way of doing it, through open coordination. The difficulty that I see in terms of soil protection is that we are not doing enough research on how to protect soils and that a great many researchers and advisers in the agricultural area are involved in form filling – forms that are created here in the European Union and which take them from their jobs of being involved with farmers in best practice in terms of soil protection.
It is very difficult for farmers to come to terms with more bureaucracy. They are dealing with this every day, with cross compliance. I believe that soils are being protected through good agricultural practice. It is a Member State issue. I had hoped that the debate here tonight would convince me that we need a directive but so far I have not been convinced of that.
I accept the work done by the rapporteur, and certainly she has taken out a great many of the concerns we would have, but it does leave me wondering why we need this at all. I think that Irish farmers, who are in large measure now worried about the Reform Treaty, will see this as another attempt to stifle them in their everyday activities, unless we can convince them that is not the case.
I repeat the point that my concern is that the research and advisory work is, in fact, almost being destroyed by the levels of bureaucracy that the EU has created. Yes, we need to deal with soils that are contaminated, but we have directives that already do that; they are in place. I am not convinced, from today’s debate, that we need such a directive. I will remain open-minded until the end of this debate and see if I am thus convinced, but, so far, I am afraid not. Yes to the strategy, but no to the directive."@en1
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