Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When we seek more funds from the Common Agricultural Policy, it should not be misinterpreted as us with the bowl out looking for more from Europe. We pay in more to the European Union than we get out in net terms. We are a net contributor to the European Union budget. The Common Agricultural Policy is of such importance not just to farmers or the rural community but to the citizens of Europe as a whole, as well as citizens of the world because we are a net food exporting region. This is in the context of climate change, the high standards of production we have and the growing global population. CAP is as crucial now as it ever was, and our asking for more funding should therefore be seen in such a context.

It is inevitable that there will be greater conditionality and the timelines are extremely challenging. The Commission remains hell-bent on trying to agree a position before the European Parliament elections where the Parliament and the Council of Ministers would also have an agreed position. Trialogues will be entered into at this stage; there is much jargon around this but essentially this involves three parties sitting around a table in order to get a final deal. This will be very challenging as the premise is that the incoming Parliament would accept or be bound by the positions taken by the previous Parliament. Even if that were the case, the timeline is very challenging in the context of everything else that must be concluded with respect to Brexit etc.

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