The European Commission will finalise its responses to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans of 19 member states – including Ireland’s – on Wednesday of next week (March 30).
Speaking at a meeting of the EU agriculture ministers’ council this morning (Monday, March 21), European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski confirmed that the commission will finalise its observations on these Strategic Plans on that date.
Agriland understands that Ireland’s plan is included in this number.
The 19 member states will formally receive these observations the following day, March 31. The responses will also be published publicly.
The commissioner also confirmed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine may “have many consequences” for the Strategic Plans, and will likely be reviewed with that situation in mind.
In particular, the commissioner said that there “could be scope to reinforce elements of the plans aiming to strengthen the resilience of the farming sector [and] strengthen the food security system”.
However, Commissioner Wojciechowski ruled out making any changes to enforcing the Farm to Fork Strategy and Biodiversity Strategy through the CAP, saying instead that the contribution of the CAP to the these strategies “should not be abandoned or weakened”.
“On the contrary, the long-term sustainable approach to agriculture will increase our resilience and is essential for our long-term food security.”
The commissioner agreed with the general opinion of the ministers that it is “in our common interest to approve the plans on time, so farmers can make their decisions for next year”.
According to Commissioner Wojciechowski, the speed at which this can be achieved depended on member states, in terms of how they respond to the commission’s expectations and addresses the observations it makes to each government.
“I can assure you that, on our side, we stand ready to continue the structured dialogue. But let me be clear, we will not prioritise speed over quality. We have to get the content right,” the commissioner added.