Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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255. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has spoken to his French counterpart regarding CAP policy recently. [4326/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Discussions on the future of CAP post-2020 have been afoot since the middle of 2016 at many forums. Since then, CAP post 2020 has been discussed at many Agri Fish Councils during both the Maltese, Estonian and now the Bulgarian Presidencies.

In July 2017, I held a bilateral meeting with Minister Travert in Paris where the future of CAP was discussed.

I also spoke at the Conference on the future of CAP organised by my French counterpart on 19 December 2017. Commissioner Hogan along with Ministers of Agriculture from Spain, Poland and the Netherlands also spoke. This was an opportune time to discuss the European Commission's CAP Communication which was published on 29 November 2017.

My Department is continuing to engage with officials in other Member States, including France, in relation to this matter.

I look forward to working with the institutions of the European Union and with  Ministerial colleagues from other Member States, including France, to deliver the best possible Common Agricultural Policy for the citizens of the European Union into the future.