Written answers

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the stance being adopted by him in relation to greening in the common agricultural policy negotiations; if he supports the EU Commission's position that greening payments should be paid at a flat rate rather than on a farm by farm calculation; if he is still pursuing his variable greening proposal, the implications of this proposal on farmers in designated areas with strict stocking limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6980/13]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I support the idea of encouraging sustainable forms of agriculture, which is at the heart of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy, and I can support the Commission in its desire to further enhance the green credentials of direct payments. However, my view is that it preferable to do so in a way that avoids adding excessive bureaucracy.

I have concerns that the proposed structure of the greening payment, i.e. a flattening of 30% of the direct payment, would hasten the movement towards uniform national or regional payment rates. I want to see the 30% greening component calculated as a percentage of each individual farmer’s payment as opposed to a flat 30% of the national average payment.

As to the greening criteria proposed, Ireland’s preferred option was to enhance current cross compliance and GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition) provisions by adding (adjusted) greening measures, but I now accept that this will not deliver the visibility sought by the Commission for its greening initiative. Nevertheless, I believe there are some practical difficulties that need to be resolved in terms of thresholds and percentages and that the three greening criteria proposed by the Commission need to undergo some adjustment.

Notwithstanding Ireland’s national position, my task, over the coming period, will be to find common ground on these issues, first within the Council and then between the three EU institutions. To that end and in consultation with partners, I will be devising a series of compromises that I believe will be acceptable to the majority of Member States with a view to reaching agreement on this complex dossier.

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