Written answers

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food

Grant Payments

9:00 pm

Photo of Nicky McFaddenNicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 767: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on proposals from the EU Commission to introduce EU flat payments by 2019; and his further views on proposals to distribute the single farm payment on a uniform per hectare basis within a region. [23511/11]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are as yet no proposals from the Commission regarding the future arrangements for the grant of payments to farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy. The Commission proposals for the future of the CAP including its proposals for direct payments to farmers will not be published until mid October. While some draft early versions of Commission proposals have been mentioned in media, the final proposals from the Commission may differ from these drafts in many respects.

Nevertheless, in its communication of November 2010 the Commission announced its intention of moving towards uniform regional or national rates of payment and there is pressure from the European Parliament and many Member States to do this. However I, along with Ministers from other Member States, strongly pressed for greater flexibility for member states to adopt payment models suitable to their own conditions. I will continue to stress this point in the upcoming negotiations.

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