With the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) expected to come into force in 2023 – and a two-year transition period between policies expected to kick in from the new year – EU approval has been secured for the extension of Irish farm schemes into next year, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.
Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday (December 8), the minister confirmed that EU approval had been received last week for the government’s intention to extend schemes under the Rural Development Programme into 2021 – meaning the department will be in touch with farmers shortly on whether they wish to extend their contracts.
This move to extend schemes had been announced by Minister McConalogue as part of Budget 2021, where €628 million had been allocated for this back in October, as reported by AgriLand.
The minister provided this update in response to a Dáil question from Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív, who asked about the progress made to date in agreeing transitional arrangements for the CAP for 2021 and 2022.
In his reply, referring to transitional arrangements, Minister McConalogue said: “Discussions on the legislative proposals are now nearing completion after an extended and intensive period of engagement at EU level.
The legislation is expected to be approved shortly, by mid-December, and published shortly afterwards, subject to agreement on the EU budget.
“In this regard, the proposals incorporate EU recovery instrument funding, of which €190 million is earmarked for Ireland. This will be programmed through the Rural Development Programme in the two-year transitional period in 2021 and 2022.”
Commenting on preparations made for transitional rules in the meantime, the minister added: “In October, I announced my intention to extend schemes under the Rural Development Programme into 2021, and I provided the necessary funding of €628 million in the budget.
“The extension of existing Rural Development Programme schemes required approval from the EU. I am pleased to advise the house that approval was received last week for the extension of contracts under GLAS [Green, Low-carbon, Agri-environment Scheme], the Beef Data and Genomics Programme [BDGP], the Burren Programme and the Organic Farming Scheme.
My department will be in contact shortly with farmers whose contracts are due to end this year, to advise them how to opt in if they wish to extend their contracts. Support for other annual schemes is expected to continue, including the Sheep Welfare Scheme and the Areas of Natural Constraints [ANC] scheme.
“I have provided for €80 million for TAMS [Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme] in 2021 to meet existing commitments, and decisions on other tranches will be made when there is more certainty around the transitional rules.”
Noting that Ireland’s European CAP national strategic plan is being finalised, the minister added:
“Over the course of the coming months, it is something that will have to be considerably fleshed out in terms of our national plan that will decide how we structure the seven-year programme at national level, obviously being compliant with the overall European programme.”
In relation to queries from deputy Ó Cuív as to whether one or two-year extensions are being offered, Minister McConalogue said:
There will be a two-year transition period, although I am not sure whether the second year has been formally signed off at European level. The full expectation is that it will be a two-year transition period.
“While the full CAP will not get going until January 2023, in every likelihood the new Basic Payment Scheme [BPS] and the seven-year Multi-annual Financial Framework [MFF] will have already started.
“The domestic budget I introduced in October was very important with regard to the rural development schemes, which will continue next year. Next year’s budget will be important to ensure they are in place for the year 2022. The rollover will happen next year so people will be able to continue with it.”