Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) until 2020 has been formally approved by the European Commission.
Minister Coveney today welcomed the final stage in the approval of Ireland’s programme by the European Commission.
Following on from the receipt of the letter of comfort from the European Commission in April, today’s announcement by the Commission marks the formal adoption of Ireland’s RDP.
The Minister said the formal adoption of our RDP marks the next step in the roll out of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy agreed under Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union.
“In recent weeks I have announced the implementation of a number of key schemes contained in our RDP, and the continued roll out of RDP schemes and supports will help to underpin economic growth and development throughout rural Ireland.” See also: Five Schemes every farmer should know about
‘Bit late in the day’- IFA
IFA Rural Development Chairman, Flor McCarthy has welcomed the fact that Brussels will formally approve the RDP next week.
“But it’s all a bit late in the day,” he says.
According to McCarthy, Ireland’s plan should have been among the first 27 agreed by the European Commission.
“The fact that it wasn’t goes back to the delays created by Department of Agriculture staff in getting the proposed programme of action over to Brussels last summer.
“But we are where we are and we have no option but to get on with the task in hand,” he said.
McCarthy said the critical issue for IFA now is to ensure that all other outstanding schemes are opened, including TAMS and the Knowledge Transfer Measures.