Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

On 25 June, I met the EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, Piotr Serafin, in Brussels. The meeting was an important opportunity to set out Ireland’s preliminary views on the post-2027 multi-annual financial framework, MFF, in advance of the proposal of the Commission being published next Wednesday. During this meeting, I called on the Commissioner to ensure a robustly funded and separate, strong and ring-fenced Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. As a thriving sector of our economy, I stressed the importance of CAP in sustaining jobs and rural communities and strengthening food security across Europe.

In addition, the Commissioner and I discussed the competitiveness fund. I called for a strong focus on digital, connectivity and infrastructure, which are key enablers to improving productivity, innovation and competitiveness. I also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring a separate and ring-fenced horizon programme, which provides for excellent research, transnational collaboration and innovation.

In the context of security and defence, which will play a significant role in the next MFF, I advocated that the Commission take into account the specificities of island and peripheral regions with large maritime areas and subsea infrastructure to protect. I also emphasised the importance of maintaining development and humanitarian assistance in a sustained and long-term manner.

On financing, I highlighted Ireland’s role as a net contributor and long-term beneficiary, and our view that the EU budget must be fit for the future, take into account horizontal principles and values and respond to Europe’s priorities effectively. Overall, the meeting was an first important step for Ireland in setting our ambitions and will be the first of many engagements I will have with the Commissioner in advance of Ireland’s EU Presidency next year, during which the MFF negotiations will be at a critical juncture.

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