The NFU has significant concerns with the Environment Agency's proposals for increased charges for regulations that impact on agriculture, such as intensive pig and poultry farming, the land spreading of waste and flood management activities.
NFU members can click here for a full briefing.
While abstraction charges are not part of this strategic review of charges, it seems likely that as part of longer term reform of the abstraction licensing system, the Environment Agency will review abstraction charges in line with the aims of the strategic review, and align abstraction charges with the strategic framework being consulted on for current regimes in Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Defra published its Abstraction Plan in December 2017 which confirmed its intention to reform the abstraction licensing system. The plan confirms that abstraction and impoundment licences will be brought into the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) in a few years time. This will align abstraction licences with other environmental permits.
The current abstraction charges scheme is built on the principle of ‘cost recovery’ by the Environment Agency in performing its regulatory duties.
Paul Hammett, NFU water specialist said: "The ‘cost recovery’ principle must remain in place in any future review of abstraction charges. Charges should not become an income generating opportunity for government.
“Any future system for abstraction charges should be effective, efficient, fair, administratively feasible and politically acceptable. Abstraction charges must not treat water as an economic commodity."