Union leaders welcome IPPC pig and poultry concession

UNION leaders north and south of the Border last night celebrated success in a long-fought campaign that would have involved many of the UK's pig and poultry producers in costly and unnecessary legislation.

The European Parliament agreed this week to scrap a proposed extension of legislation under the integrated pollution prevention control directive. If implemented, then the changes would have doubled the number of farms requiring permits under this costly piece of legislation. It would also extend the control of the IPPC into off-site manure spreading.

Currently, the legislation applies to units with more than 40,000 poultry places; 750 sows or 2,000 finishing pigs. These figures were going to be reduced in forthcoming years, but MEPs have rejected this proposal.

NFU Scotland vice-president Allan Bowie said the original legislation had been designed for large-scale industrial businesses but ensnared a small number of Scotland's larger pig and poultry producers in a "sea of unnecessary cost and red tape".

He believed that without sensible concessions for smaller pig and poultry keepers, many would have walked away from the sector rather than face the thousands of pounds of cost in obtaining IPPC permits.

However, the European council of ministers will have the final say in the legislative process when the directive receives its second reading after the summer break.

NFU Scotland, along with other UK unions, will now turn their attention to ministers to ensure the agreed concessions are accepted. One other potential hurdle exists, with England and Wales NFU environmental adviser Dr Diane Mitchell saying there was a "fly in the ointment" as there are plans to review the situation next year.

"We shall not be taking our eye off the ball until this review is completed with a satisfactory outcome for British farmers and growers," she said.