The EU Commissioner for Agriculture has said he is confident that the “money is there” to maintain the current level of financial support for the bloc’s farmer – if member states use the “additional flexibilities” included in proposals for the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget.
Speaking in Screggan, Co Offaly on the last day of this year’s National Ploughing Championships, Christophe Hansen warned that the next CAP budget is “still up for discussion” and that member-state governments need to decide how much they want to contribute to agriculture.
The European Commission has proposed a 22% cut to CAP, which would mean a fall in guaranteed funding – from €386 billion down to around €300bn – over the course of the next EU budget cycle from 2028-2034.
An estimate from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) suggests farmers here would lose around €2.5bn in funding as part of the changes.
Under the proposals, EU supports for agriculture would also be merged with those for rural areas into a single fund. However, this funding would not be ringfenced for farming.
Commissioner Hansen said that if these additional funds were allocated to agriculture, then “you would be at the same level (of funding) as we currently are”.
Though, he added: “We have to be realistic. If we get around €400bn for the farming sector for the future, that would be a big achievement.”
Also speaking at the National Ploughing Championship, Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said that the next CAP budget “as is currently proposed … will be devastating for Irish agriculture”.
Minister Heydon said the Government and Commissioner Hansen “would like to see a properly funded CAP” and that he’s working with other EU ministers to achieve that.
Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly said Commissioner Hansen “must be very clear” about the next CAP budget.
Mr Mullooly said: “We need over €400 billion actually to maintain the existing CAP budget for Ireland and the other member states, and include for inflation.
“So we’re over €100 billion still short … he’s got to find the money and a lot of work has to be done.
“Irish farmers in particular need assurances. Instability is not good for this business. We’re going to have possibly a rollover one year on the old CAP deal – perhaps even two years while we wait.
“That is not good for farming in Ireland and for generational renewal,” the Independent Ireland MEP added.
