Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has said that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must remain a core priority for the European Union.

The minister made the comments ahead of a meeting the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) today (Monday, May 26).

The European Commission recently published a large package of measures designed to “simplify the CAP and boost EU farmers’ competitiveness”.

However, a proposal understood to involve a radical overhaul of the EU budget has caused major concerns among farm organisations leading to protests in Ireland and Europe.

Minister Heydon said that the CAP is essential to a sustainable future for the agri-food sector.

“Stability and certainty should be a key focus in our consideration for the next CAP post-2027. We need to focus on keeping the full CAP toolbox available to support our farmers.

"That requires a dedicated and robust CAP Budget, with the full set of options under Pillar 1 and Pillar 2," he said.

The minister said he wants to work closely with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and his EU counterparts "to ensure the importance of the CAP is well understood during the negotiations on the next EU Budget".

“Equally, I will be making the point that we need a dedicated and sufficient budget line to support the seafood sector.

"The Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food provides us with a strategic framework to plan for the sustainable development of the European agri-food sector, and a positive future for our farmers.

"I particularly welcome that the vision acknowledges the importance of the family farm model and the need to support its long-term viability. The design of the next CAP is of fundamental importance to delivering on that objective," the minister added.

The AGRIFISH Council will also hold a discussion today on the markets situation, including participation by Vitaliy Koval, the Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food.

“I look forward to hearing from Minister Koval and I will reaffirm Ireland’s full solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirm our respect and admiration for the people of Ukraine after three years of terrible war," Minster Heydon said.

“I also look forward to discussing how the administrative burden arising from the EU Deforestation Regulation can be reduced, and to holding bilateral meetings with my Austrian and Latvian counterparts," he added.