Allister Rejects Soil Directive Proposals
13 November 2007
Jim Allister QC MEP has spoken against proposals for the introduction of a Soil Framework Directive, during last night’s European Parliament debate.
Speaking from Strasbourg, the Ulster MEP said,
“Land grab is the unwarranted appropriation of property belonging to another. This Soil Directive amounts to unwarranted power grab by Brussels and, of course, the inevitable fresh layer of bureaucracy.”
“Soil, unlike air or water, does not flow from state to state; it has no cross-border dimension. Thus, policy on soil is and must remain a member state issue. The IPPC, cross compliance obligations, Nitrates Directive, the Landfill Directive etc give us more than enough EU involvement. Hence I favour total rejection of this power-hungry proposal.”
“If, true to form, the EU nonetheless decides to meddle in this national issue, then, one initiative it should consider is to introduce a payment to farmers in return for providing carbon sequestration in soil management and farming practices. Carbon sequestration counters climate change, so why shouldn't good husbandry be rewarded?”
ENDS
