Funding for the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must be "protected and reinforced" in upcoming EU budget, according to a Sinn Féin MEP.

Ireland South MEP Kathleen Funchion was speaking ahead of the unveiling of the European Commission's proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) or long-term EU budget on July 16.

Proposals on the format of the CAP post-2027 are also set to be revealed by the commission this month.

It is understood that the commission is considering a ‘single fund’ approach to the MFF, meaning there will not be ringfenced funding for the EU’s policy areas, including CAP.

This has lead to concerns among farm organisations about the potential loss of the traditional two-pillar format of CAP.

Speaking from Brussels, Kathleen Funchion said: “There are many challenges facing farmers and rural communities at the moment, many of which, like climate and population changes, are going to make the sector and the countryside increasingly difficult to sustain.

“The rumoured proposals from the EU Commission to centralise Common Agricultural Policy and merge it with other objectives poses a threat to food security and farm succession by further complicating and diluting the funding available."

The MEP added that “CAP is essential to the livelihood of Irish farmers and the rural way of life more broadly".

"It must be protected over the coming years in a well-funded, separate, and accessible structure.

“The EU Commission must ensure that CAP continues to be implemented in the two-pillar structure whilst also cutting the bureaucracy for farmers and protecting LEADER and other community led aspects that have had such a positive impact on rural areas," she said.

MEP Funchion added that the next implementation period of the CAP must also deliver certainty for farmers and "not be chopped or changed over the coming years".

"This would only lead to more confusion and unnecessary paperwork for those who should be spending their time doing more important and productive work.

“The EU Commission must stop the slide that CAP has experienced in relative funding amounts and ensure it continues to serve its purpose protecting farmers and rural areas," Funchion added.