Gorman concerned commission is 'driving on with single fund'
The EU Commissioner for Budget, Piotr Serafin, gave protesting farmers a "good hearing" at the Common Agricultural Policy demonstration outside the EU Commission in Brussels today (Tuesday, May 20), according to the president of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).
Francie Gorman was in Brussels today "representing Irish farmers" at the protest and to meet with Irish MEPs and commissioners.
He was among European farming leaders who had travelled to Brussels to support the CAP protest while other similar protests took place across EU member states this morning.
The IFA president told Agriland: "Commissioner Serafin asked us to keep an open mind about how the European budget will be constructed. We were quite clear to him in our message, that we want to see a ring-fenced budget for agriculture, and we want to see support for farmers.
"We want to see an enhanced budget as well. The budget we have today does not meet the requirements of farmers today, never mind from 2027 onwards."
According to the IFA president, Commissioner Serafin expects that a decision will be taken at commission-level on the EU budget on July 16, 2025.
However, the ultimate decision remains with the European Council of Ministers.
Gorman remains "concerned" about the proposals, and has claimed that the negotiation period is "historically short".
"We are concerned that they are driving on with the idea of a single fund. This is something that has come to the fore in the last number of months.
"The new commission is only in place since January (2025). We have had no one to engage with on this issue, even though there was murmurings of it before hand.
“I spoke to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and the minister for agriculture, and Commissioner (Michael) McGrath, and there does seem to be support to retain a ring fenced budget for agriculture,” Gorman added.
Some of Ireland's MEPs have also spoken about the protests across the EU this morning.
Fine Gael MEP, Maria Walsh believes the proposals are "jeopardising the livelihoods of farmers across Ireland".
She said: "I strongly advocate for an increased, inflation-adjusted, separate CAP budget that responds to the current challenges of the farming sector and maintains the two-pillar structure.
"Anything else would risk moving away from the common foundation of EU agricultural policy, undermine European coherence and create further uncertainty for both farmers and managing authorities.”
Independent Ireland MEP, Ciaran Mullooly has also claimed that reducing CAP funding is "no answer to the rising challenges facing Irish and EU farmers".
He said: "We need a strong, secure, and ring-fenced CAP budget post-2027. Anything less is a betrayal of Europe’s commitment to food security, rural sustainability, and the family farm model.”
Copa Cogeca, the European umbrella organisation representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives, has described the flash action protests across the EU as "symbolic".
At the protest in Brussels Copa Cogeca president, Massimiliano Giansanti said: "The issue of the budget is far from being a technical issue, it is a key political priority that determines the ambition and overall coherence of European agricultural policies. Without this, the entire structure could collapse like a house of cards.
"That is why we cannot accept the dissolution of the CAP into a single fund or any attempt of further renationalisation, nor a rushed proposal for the next CAP presented in July," he added.
