By Independent Ireland MEP for the Midlands North-West, Ciaran Mullooly

Representing a region that stretches across more than fifteen counties - from towns and cities from the west cost to the east cost of Ireland and some of the most peripheral rural communities in Europe - brings with it both opportunity and responsibility.

The work ahead is vast: addressing housing shortages, protecting rural jobs, and responding to the growing concerns of farm families who feel the EU is changing direction in ways that could reshape their livelihoods with a greater emphasis on free trade no matter what the consequences are - Mercosur;  US/Russian tariffs; and the defence strategy.

The EU’s political focus has shifted in recent years, reacting to global instability, war, and economic uncertainty.

As a result, this new term of the European Parliament will be a defining period for Irish farm families, because the decisions made in Brussels over the next 18 months will set the course of European agriculture for the next decade.

The next CAP - 2028-2034

The next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will look very different. The European Commission has already signalled a move away from food security towards income support, while proposing a budget cut of over 20%.

When inflation is factored in, the real reduction could reach 70%.

At the same time, farmers are being asked to deliver more environmental actions, with little or no increase in profitability.

That is not a sustainable path forward. Demanding more for less has never worked, and it will not work now.

The facts tell their own story

Across the EU, the figures reveal a sector under immense strain:

68% of farms are under 5ha;
Just over 30% of farmers are women;
Fewer than 17% of farmers are under the age of 35;
Ireland accounts for only 1.44% of the EU’s total farming population, yet we remain heavily dependent on CAP supports for viability.

These numbers expose a worrying truth - Europe’s farming population is ageing rapidly, and younger generations are turning away.

If that trend continues, the EU’s ability to feed itself will be compromised.

Giving farmers a voice

As a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, I sit at the table where the future direction of agricultural policy will be decided.

This committee is arguably the most influential forum for farmers in Brussels, and I take that responsibility seriously.

I have been building alliances with colleagues from France, Germany, Poland, and Italy to strengthen our shared priorities.

Despite different national contexts, the principle remains the same: No farmers, no food.

Europe’s first duty is to secure access to safe, sustainable food for its people.

Ireland has consistently played its part, producing world-class beef and dairy from a grass-based system that is among the most sustainable anywhere on the planet.

A fair income and less red tape

If we want young people to enter agriculture, “the standard of living matters”.  

Farming must provide a decent livelihood that can compete with other career options. Without that, we risk hollowing out rural Ireland and losing a generation of food producers.

Equally, we must overhaul the mountain of paperwork and compliance that farmers face. Many of the EU’s administrative systems are outdated and overly complex.

Modern technology can and should simplify how farmers meet their obligations. I believe this will be a key area of reform during this parliamentary term.

Common sense over ideology

Farmers understand the need to protect nature - they live and work with it every day. But too often, the debate in Brussels is dominated by interest groups far removed from the realities of farming life.

Some of the proposals put forward may sound good on paper but are unworkable in practice.

We need to balance environmental ambition with economic reality. Europe cannot afford to legislate its farmers out of business while expecting the same level of food security.

A commissioner who understands

Our new European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, comes from a farming background himself.

He knows the daily challenges of beef and dairy production and has shown a genuine commitment to improving the standard of living for farm families across Europe.

I intend to work closely with him to ensure that Irish farmers’ voices are not only heard but acted upon.

The road ahead

This parliamentary term will determine whether European farming has a vibrant, sustainable future or slips further into decline.

The next CAP must restore confidence and reward farmers for what they do best - producing food of the highest quality while caring for the land they work.

The message is clear: support real farmers, simplify the system, and make farming a viable way of life once again.

Because without farmers, there is no food. And without food, there is no Europe.