Walsh elected VP of new EPP Farmers' Group in Europe
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has been elected vice-president of the newly established European People's Party (EPP) Farmers’ Group, a new platform which aims to play a central role in shaping agriculture policy in the EU.
The group brings together MEPs, national politicians and farming organisations under the same banner in the European Parliament. Fine Gael Senator Eileen Lynch was also elected as vice-president.
The election took place at a high-level event in Brussels this week, which was attended by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen and EPP president Manfred Weber.
MEP Maria Walsh, who is a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said:
“The EPP is the biggest political group in the European Parliament. When it comes to agriculture, this is where the real decisions are made.
"I’m proud to take up this role as vice-president to represent Irish farmers, especially those across Midlands North West. They face unique challenges and opportunities, and their voice will be heard at the heart of Europe.
“With an uphill battle ahead of us as we negotiate the future of the CAP [Common Agricultural Policy], we need a strong pro-farmers representative in Brussels.
"The EPP Farmers’ Group will be the central vessel for decisions relating to the future of the European agriculture sector, as it brings together MEPs, national politicians and farm organisations," MEP Walsh said.
She explained that her work priorities for this group are: fighting for fair incomes for farmers; delivering an EU-wide generational renewal strategy; and delivering tailor-made supports and programmes for female farmers.
“This new group puts young farmers and agri-SMEs front and centre - exactly where our focus needs to be if we want a sustainable, thriving future for Irish and European agriculture," the MEP said.
Meanwhile, in other European news, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has been named as the rapporteur of the opinion on Mercosur in the Environment Committee in the European Parliament.
Speaking after the announcement, the Dublin MEP said: “I’m delighted to be named as the rapporteur of the opinion on Mercosur for the Environment Committee.
“This means that I’ll be responsible for creating a report on the committee’s position on Mercosur and its impacts on climate and food safety to the parliament.
“This is an opportunity to set out our real concerns about Mercosur and push back against the bad decisions, and deregulation that the EU has pushed for in recent months. The Mercosur deal is a bad deal for Ireland.
“I am determined to work every day to protect our climate, our economy and our farmers from the impacts of this rotten trade deal," Boylan said.
