Courtesy of his letter confirming Phil Hogan’s nomination as Europe’s new Farm Commissioner, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has told the Kilkenny man that he believes the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to be a crucial tool in delivering future food security in tandem with jobs and economic growth.
The President added: “The CAP contributes to the sustainable development of Europe’s agriculture and to ensuring the well-being of our rural areas. Since a reform has just been decided upon, your first challenge will be to implement it in a proactive manner as part of our key priorities. Production patterns and structures in EU agriculture must adapt to take into account world-wide population growth, income disparities and the scarcity of natural resources and climate change. These challenges also bring new opportunities for our agricultural sector.”
Over the next five years Jean-Claude Juncker wants Phil Hogan to concentrate on the following issues: