Agri committee warns of concerns for '120,000 Irish farmers' in proposed CAP
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has voiced "deep concerns" about the European Commission’s plans to reform the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
According to the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, CAP “remains a key priority" in the next EU long term budget - the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) - which runs from 2028 to 2034.
Commissioner Hansen has said that “at least €300 billion” has been ringfenced by the commission for CAP which represents 80% of the current budget.
However the previous MFF for 2021 to 2027 allocated €386.6 billion to CAP in the EU budget divided between the “two pillars”.
One major change proposed is that the current two-funds structure Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 – will merge under one single umbrella.
The chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food, Aindrias Moynihan, said there is "significant unease in the farming sector" in relation to the proposals that have been unveiled by the commission in relation to CAP.
The TD for Cork North West said members of the joint committee had "deep concerns" about the commission's proposals to move CAP "into a single National and Regional Partnerships fund from the start of the next EU budgetary cycle in 2028".
Deputy Moynihan added: “Members have concerns that these proposals will see the financial supports received by the approximately 120,000 Irish farmers annually of around €2 billion in CAP payments to help support the rural economy and food production being directed away from farming and into other areas.
“Our committee calls on the government and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to continue to keep Irish farmers interests front and centre in all negotiations with the European Union during this process".
Minister Heydon has said the government intends to negotiate through” the European Commission’s new EU budget proposals “line by line”.
According to Minister Heydon, the Commission’s proposals for new CAP structures “in a new MFF architecture will require careful analysis”.
“This seems like a very big change, but in fact this announcement marks the starting point in a long negotiating process.
“I will continue to work very closely with Commissioner Hansen, the European Parliament, and my EU counterparts to ensure that the end result delivers the best possible outcome for Irish farmer and the rural communities in which they live,” he said.
