Denmark's new package of agricultural measures has been controversial. Officials complained that they were being required to formulate plans that broke EU environmental regulations, and a government minister resigned after misleading parliament about how 'green' the new package would be.
But the Centre-right government has been under pressure to help farmers, who are struggling to compete in world markets -- partly, they argue, because of the cost of complying with stringent regulations to protect the environment. For example EU rules limit the amount of fertilisers they can use, to protect waterways, but they assert that yields are less than optimal.
Now the European Commission has sent a letter to the Danish government expressing concern that its new agriculture package appears to breach the Water Framework Directive, Nitrates Directive and Habitats Directive.
According to a report in the online magazine Euractiv, the increasingly unpopular government designed a strategy that would appeal to farmers, who used to be its main voter base, and chose to ignore warnings over its negative impact on the environment.
Read more about Sustain's policies on farming and the environment here.
Read more about Sustain's policies on farming and the environment here.
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
