Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm when the proposals from the European Commission on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27929/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The formal legislative proposals for the future of the CAP are due to be published by the Commission on 12 October next. The publication of the proposals will be followed by an intense and lengthy period of negotiation that is likely to fall for completion under the Irish Presidency of the EU.

On 14 and 15 September last, I and my colleague Minister of State McEntee addressed this House during Private Members Business when we gave an outline of the CAP reform debate to date. We reiterated our key priorities in the CAP negotiations which are:

To ensure that the negotiations on the next EU budget framework deliver a well resourced CAP

To retain Ireland's funding both for direct payments and for rural development in any redistribution of CAP funds between Member States

To obtain flexibility for Member States with regard to payment models and transition arrangements for distribution of single payment funds to farmers

To ensure that rural development policy includes appropriate targeted measures to support competitiveness and sustainability and

To keep CAP processes as simple and as effective as possible and to minimise unnecessary bureaucracy for farmers and costs to the State

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter again in the House when the proposals have been presented to Member States.