Dooley outlines Irish 'concerns' over next CAP at Luxembourg meeting
The next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must be "appropriately funded," Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Timmy Dooley has warned in Luxembourg.
Attending an Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AgriFish) meeting, Minister Dooley said that it is really important that there is "visibility" of the CAP in the new EU budget, the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF).
"From an Irish perspective, we have concerns like other member states, we want to work through those with the commission.
"Of course, the CAP has been a really important foundation of the agricultural systems right right across Europe, so any changes that need to be made need to reflect what we've already had and to ensure that we protect the viability of our farmers and our rural communities," the minister added.
CAP
According to Minister Dooley, while the ring-fenced funding in the current European Commission CAP proposal "is a good starting point", it cannot be the end point.
"The CAP must be fully funded to preserve its ability to secure incomes, simplify delivery, and advance our green objectives," he added.
During the council meeting, agriculture ministers discussed whether they agreed with the idea of not including any specific green ring-fencing for the next CAP.
They also raised questions on how "a level playing field on the green transition" could be ensured for farmers in the absence of any ring-fencing.
Separately, the council also examined the current market situation and noted that while EU agricultural markets are generally stable, vulnerabilities and sectoral and regional differences remain.
Ministers also highlighted what they pinpointed as the challenges which continue to put pressure on the sector, including the negative impact of extreme weather events and outbreaks of animal and plant diseases.
Jacob Jensen, Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, said two key priorites came out of the latest AgriFish meeting.
"First, the need to make green rules simple and flexible so they work for farmers and second, deeper integration of Ukraine into EU agricultural markets so we support Ukraine and strengthen Europe’s food security," Minister Jensen said.
