Farm leaders have urged Taoiseach Micheál Martin to "stand firm" on the defence of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as pressure mounts to agree the next EU long-term budget.

Copa president Massimiliano Giansanti and Copa vice president and IFA president Francie Gorman met with the Taoiseach in Dublin as the budget negotiations reach a "critical stage" under Ireland's EU presidency.

During the meeting, the delegation presented the Stockholm Declaration, adopted by European farming organisations last month.

The document sets out their shared concerns and demands for the future of European agriculture.

CAP

As EU leaders attempt to move closer to a common landing zone on the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034, the farm organisations said their main concerns are still unresolved.

They said a proposed cut of more than 20% to the CAP budget, exceeding 30% when inflation is taken into account, would be "simply unbearable" for farmers and agricultural cooperatives across the EU.

The proposals would translate into a 24% cut in payments to Irish farmers.

The farm leaders called on the Irish presidency to uphold three fundamental guarantees:

Preserving a genuinely common CAP, with its own identity and proper governance;
Securing a dedicated CAP budget at least equivalent to the current one, adjusted for inflation;
Translating the proposed rural spending target and the allocation of two-thirds of the mid-term review resources into concrete, ring-fenced support for farmers.

Copa president Massimiliano Giansanti said CAP is "more relevant than ever" as European citizens grapple with rising food prices.

"Europe cannot afford to keep losing its farmers if we want to ensure access to high-quality, affordable European food.

"To undermine the foundations of a policy that has proven its value over decades would send a troubling message to European citizens and the rest of the world.

"We count on Ireland’s leadership to ensure farmers do not pay the price for these negotiations," he said.

Francie Gorman said there was "deep dismay" among farmers over Ireland's revised negotiating box which maintained the CAP reductions proposed by the European Commission.

"This is a huge let-down for Irish and European farmers, who will rightly feel that the EU is turning its back on agriculture.

"At such a critical moment in the negotiations, we need Ireland to stand firm and defend a properly funded CAP," he added.

European farming organisations say they "remain fully mobilised and will continue to make their voices heard" until a final agreement is reached.