The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has outlined his priorities for the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) negotiations.

Minister Heydon was asked his priorities for the upcoming EU budget negotiations in a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD, Maclolm Byrne this week (June 18).

Minister Heydon set out his key priorities for the next CAP as:

A CAP that is more straightforward for farmers;
A more flexible and responsive CAP;
One which has an appropriate balance between all elements of sustainability;
And finally, an adequate and dedicated budget is needed for an effective CAP.

The minister outlined that the CAP is a key element of the EU budget and the Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF).

He said: "As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am working closely with the EU institutions and with my counterparts in other member states to influence the negotiations for the next CAP.

"The CAP is central to the EU’s success in ensuring food security, supporting farm incomes and competitiveness, and developing rural areas," the minister added.

Proposals for the next MFF, post-2027, will be made by the European Commission, negotiated by Finance Ministers at the Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council.

According to Minister Heydon, decision ultimately agreed by heads of state and government at the European Council.

He highlighted that the European Commission is due to set out its proposals for the next MFF in mid-July.

The commission's proposals for the CAP post-2027 negotiations are "likely" to follow, with negotiations on both the future MFF and future CAP running in "parallel".

Minister Heydon said: "It is a key responsibility of government to raise Ireland's concerns with our EU partners and to influence EU policy.

"For my part as minister, I have and will continue to engage with Christophe Hansen, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, and my fellow EU ministers on the issues affecting the agri-food sector, including in particular the CAP post-2027, at council meetings as well as in bilateral discussions."

"I assure (Deputy Byrne) that I will prioritise these engagements at European level, particularly in preparation for Ireland’s Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2026," he added.