Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 140: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the changes he will make regarding decoupling; his views on the system in France (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10968/10]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 141: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the discussions he has had with his EU counterparts or the EU Agricultural Commissioner regarding decoupling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10969/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together.

In the mid term review of the CAP conducted in 2003, Ireland opted for full decoupling of payments from production. This has proved to be a success for Ireland and I am committed to this approach for the foreseeable future. My view is that decoupled payments remain the best way of underpinning the incomes of small family farms, while allowing them to respond to market opportunities. In subsequent discussions on the CAP Health Check in 2008, I repeated my views and I am satisfied that one of the outcomes of the Health Check was a movement towards further decoupling in all Member States.

Article 68 of the Single Payment Regulation provides that a proportion of Single Payment funds may be top-sliced from the overall national envelope for the single Farm Payment and targeted towards specific objectives and sectors. This option has been used in France but not in Ireland. However, I am currently using the provisions of Article 68 to target previously inaccessible "unspent" funds to the sheep and dairy sectors and for agri-environmental purposes.

As to future policy, the policy debates on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy held by successive Presidencies in recent years have focused heavily on the issue of decoupled payments and whether and in what format they should continue. The future of such payments has also been a primary feature in the bilateral discussions I have had with other Member States and the Commission on the future of the CAP. At all times in these debates and discussions and, most recently last week at my meeting with Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, I have highlighted my support for continuation of decoupling. There is good support for this position in the Council.