The main farm organisation in France has said it is "counting on Ireland's negotiating capabilities" on the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The FNSEA (Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles) made the comment in a social media post this week as Ireland took on the presidency of the Council of the EU.

Ireland steps into the role at a vital time: the EU is in the process of negotiating its long-term budget for 2028 to 2034, and as part of that, will also negotiate the budget and format of the next CAP.

Ireland will be expected to play the role of 'honest broker' in those negotiations involving the members states, the European Parliament, and the European Commission.

However, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, who will chair meetings of EU agriculture ministers during Ireland's presidency, has indicated that boosting the seven-year CAP budget from its current proposed level of around €290 billion is one of Ireland's aims.

The FNSEA said on Wednesday (in translated remarks): "The Irish presidency of the council begins today: the coming months will be decisive.

"While French and Irish farmers...have already jointly carried strong messages in favour of a robust European agriculture, the FNSEA is counting on Ireland's negotiating capabilities and on France's commitment," the FNSEA said.

The French farm organisation called for "a CAP with a budget commensurate with the challenges at stake - one that guarantees food sovereignty, farmers' competitiveness, and generational renewal".

Emergency agriculture law

Meanwhile, it appears that an 'emergency' law to reduce administrative burden on farmers, as well as other measures, has cleared a significant legislative hurdle in France.

Earlier this year, the French government introduced a wide-ranging emergency agricultural bill which aims to protect farmers, boost food sovereignty and protect farmland.

According to the French government, the emergency bill for the "protection and sovereignty of agriculture" aims to deliver major reforms and benefits for the country's farmers.

That bill has now been adopted by the French Senate, one of the two chambers of the country's parliament (the other chamber being the National Assembly).

France's Minster for Agriculture Anne Genevard said on social media today (Friday, July 3): "The Senate adopted the agricultural emergency bill last night - A text that provides concrete responses to the expectations of the agricultural world: facilitating access to water, removing obstacles to the installation of livestock buildings, protecting our agricultural land, better ensuring farmers' income, and strengthening requirements on imports."

Minister Genevard called on lawmakers across both chambers of the parliament to come to an agreement on the final text of the law so it can be adopted.

Reacting to the Senate vote, the FNSEA said: "The Senate adopts an ambitious agricultural emergency law. This important step brings relief to many of the ills that have been weakening our agriculture for far too long.

"As climate hazards remind us every day of the urgency to act, this text provides concrete responses to enable our farmers to continue producing, to live from their profession, and to preserve our collective capacity to feed French women and men," the farm organisation added," echoing the call from Minister Genevard for a cross-parliamentary committee to ratify the final text of the law.