Union calls for NVZ plan details to be made public
NFU Cymru has called upon the Welsh Government to make publically available key information relating to the proposed introduction of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) across the whole of Wales in 2020.
This includes full disclosure of the advice and evidence received by the Welsh Government from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Welsh Government’s Regulatory Impact Assessment.
NFU Cymru is disappointed that in response to a Freedom of Information request under the Environmental Information Regulations, the
Welsh Government has refused to disclose the advice and evidence relating to the proposed regulations that it has received from NRW.
NFU Cymru deputy president Aled Jones said: “Clearly this decision is very disappointing.
“As environmental regulator and adviser to government, NRW will play a key role in the application of the EU Nitrates Directive in Wales if the Minister decides to implement this directive. NRW is also the enforcement body for NVZ rules which, if the current proposals are taken forward, will apply to every farm business across Wales.
“Information supplied by NRW as part of the Nitrates Review in 2016 provided no justification for the introduction of NVZs across the whole of Wales.
“We believe it is very much in the public interest to understand what information Welsh Government has received from NRW since then to lead Welsh Government to such a costly and damaging NVZ proposal.
“It is also legitimate to understand whether Welsh Government’s whole-Wales NVZ proposal aligns with the advice of the principal adviser to government on all matters relating to the environment and natural resources.”
NFU Cymru has also repeatedly expressed concerns about the way in which the proposals for the introduction of regulatory measures to address agricultural pollution have been developed without a thorough understanding of the costs and impact of the proposals.
Mr Jones said: “The Regulatory Impact Assessment is a critical document in understanding the impact of regulatory proposals.
“The significant importance of this assessment, and potential long-term implications, calls for a high level of scrutiny.
“No decision should be taken without a comprehensive understanding of the full impact of that decision.”
Mr Jones added: “A comprehensive impact assessment must consider the impact of an all-Wales NVZ on farm viability and capacity of farm businesses to afford the cost of new regulations and continue trading, alongside consideration of the impacts of proposed NVZ regulations on employment, both direct and indirect, on Welsh farms as well as in the allied industry and wider supply chain.”