Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the discussions that have taken place at EU level on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3694/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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A first policy debate on CAP after 2013 took place at the Informal Agriculture Council in September 2008 under the French Presidency. The Czech Presidency continued the debate in the first months of last year, focusing, in particular, on the issue of direct payments to farmers. Following on from this, in the last six months of 2009, the Swedish Presidency concentrated its discussions on rural development issues. In addition to these discussions at Council, both I and my officials have engaged intensively with other Member States and the Commission bilaterally on the future of the CAP.

Notwithstanding these discussions, concrete proposals have yet to emerge on the shape of EU agriculture policy beyond 2013. The Commission is expected to bring forward a formal communication later this year on the future of the CAP, followed by legal proposals in mid 2011. A first round of formal negotiations will commence on the Communication, leading possibly to the agreement of Council Conclusions, while the more intense phase of formal negotiations will commence once the legal proposals are tabled.

My priority at present is to ensure that Ireland is at the centre of the informal negotiating process that is taking place in advance of the formal start of negotiations. It is at this stage in the informal negotiating period that the main policy options will be formulated in my view. It is important, therefore, that a single unified view is presented by Ireland that we want a robust agricultural policy in the future with resources commensurate with our ambitions.

My belief, 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. We must also undertake food production and distribution in a manner that is competitive and 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 international economic crisis 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 the objectives I have outlined, there is a continuing need for an active and appropriately resourced European agricultural policy and I am pleased to report that there is strong support for my views as is evidenced by the tone and text of the declaration agreed by 22 Member States, including Ireland, in Paris last month.