New EU legislation on farm emissions comes into force – Euractiv

A revision of EU industrial emissions rules came into force on Sunday (July 4), extending their scope to more livestock farms than previous legislation.

According to the European Commission, instructrenamed IED 2.0, now applies to ” The most polluted Pig and poultry farms are responsible for most of the ammonia emissions in the EU, accounting for about 30% of the total ammonia emissions in the EU.

The legislation has sparked controversy among farm groups. Right wing Political parties oppose regulating farms to the same standards as industrial sectors such as battery Gigafactories and steel mills.

The measure applies to pig farms with more than 350 livestock units (LSU), which is equivalent to approximately 1,100 adult pigs or 700 breeding pigs.

Organic pig farms and extensive pig farms (where animals spend most of their time outdoors) are exempt from the restriction. Previously, the rule only covered farms with more than 2,000 pigs and 750 sows.

The threshold for poultry farming remains at 280 LSU or 40,000 broiler chickens. However, egg-laying farms now face stricter regulation, with a minimum threshold of 21,400 laying hens.

The Commission initially proposed including cattle in the legislation, but the European Parliament succeeded in excluding it from the final text during negotiations with EU member states.

However, the Committee will report Tackling pollution from dairy farmsBy the end of 2026, these emissions will account for 50% of the EU’s methane emissions and 25% of its ammonia emissions.

“Relaxed licensing”

Despite the increase in the number of farms affected, the environmental watchdog warned that IED 2.0 could lead to Regulatory rollbackThe revised directive allows EU countries to apply a “lighter regulatory regime” to farmers, opting for a simpler registration process rather than a more onerous full license.

In addition, the new law also provides for the right of people to seek compensation for health damage caused by “illegal pollution”.

The bill also provides for tougher financial penalties, with serious non-compliance facing fines of at least 3% of its annual EU turnover. Authorities can suspend non-compliant farms, but they must still continue to carry out necessary activities to care for the animals and ensure their well-being.

The Commission has two years to develop detailed operating rules, which will be drawn up in collaboration with agricultural representatives, experts from member states and non-governmental organizations.

The new rules will apply to the most affected farms from 2030 and to the rest by 2032.

(Editing by Chris Powers)

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