Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the discussions there have been at the EU Agricultural Council regarding the future of the CAP post 2013. [4933/09]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding his consultations at an EU level with regard to changes to the Common Agricultural Policy post 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5016/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 89 together.

A first policy debate on the future of the CAP after 2013 took place at the informal meeting of Agriculture Ministers in Annecy in September last. In the initial debate, there was general agreement on the global context in which policy thinking must be developed. All the ministers present were concerned about global food security, increasing environmental pressures and the impact of climate change; factors which have been reflected in recent food price volatility. While a large majority of Member States favoured maintaining a strong EU agriculture policy, there were differences in emphasis from different Member States.

The French Presidency took the discussion forward at a specially convened Council in November 2008 at which it presented a series of draft conclusions for discussion by Ministers. The draft brought together aspirations on a number of broad challenges and generally understood principles on future CAP policy. It took on board the commitments made in the final Health Check negotiations to further simplification and to address the differing levels of direct payments between Member States. It also pledged that the conclusions were without prejudice to discussions on the Financial Perspectives. Unanimous agreement could not be reached on the conclusions put forward by the Presidency and they were therefore agreed as Presidency, rather than Council, conclusions.

The Czech Presidency has signalled that its main priority will be to continue discussions on the future of the CAP including an examination of direct payments with a particular focus on the differences between Member States and the system of payments.

My own view, which I have expressed at meetings of the Council and bilaterally to my Ministerial colleagues, is that we must maintain a strong agricultural production base in the European Union in the future to take account of the challenges ahead in meeting increased demands for food. Any reduction in food production in the EU would be taken up elsewhere where less efficient production systems exist and would result in a heavier carbon footprint. We must also undertake food production and distribution in a manner that is sustainable in all its dimensions — economically, socially and environmentally.

There will be major challenges ahead from climate change, increased competition on world and EU markets, the financial crunch and other factors. We must ensure that we have the capacity to cope with the challenges and fully exploit the opportunities as they emerge. To do so our whole sector, from farm to fork, must be highly efficient and competitive. It must also be innovative, producing the products that changing consumer tastes demand, and it must be relentlessly focused on quality and safety.

To achieve these objectives, there is a continuing need for an active and appropriately resourced European agricultural policy.

That policy needs to recognise the role that a cohesive agriculture & rural development policy can play in addressing future energy needs, addressing environmental concerns and providing a secure and sustainable food supply in Europe.