Written answers

Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking at EU level to build support for a fully funded CAP post-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23735/18]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) proposals for 2021-2027 were published by Budget Commissioner Gunther Oettinger on 2 May 2018. The proposal, indicates a 5% cut in the CAP budget for the next MFF period of 2021 - 2027.

It should be noted that the proposal published by the European Commission is the initial MFF proposal. The final outcome will be determined by negotiations between Finance Ministers at EU level over the coming year. Any final agreement will require approval by the European Council and the European Parliament.

Achieving Ireland’s priorities in these negotiations will be a key issue for the Government. In that context, I have been meeting with EU counterparts since January, most recently with the German and French Ministers, with a view to building consensus amongst farm ministers around the need for a strong CAP budget. Additional meetings are scheduled to take place with my counterparts from Romania, Denmark and Belgium shortly.

In addition to these formal bilateral meetings, I regularly meet my EU Ministerial colleagues at the monthly Agri-Fish Council meetings, and will have a further opportunity to discuss the future of the CAP at the forthcoming informal Council meeting in Sofia on 5 June with a further Council scheduled for Luxembourg on 18 June. I also keep in regular contact with Commissioner Hogan and his officials and met with him recently in Dublin on 26 April.

My Department officials also have regular and constructive engagement with their EU counterparts on this matter.

The next stage in the CAP post 2020 process will be the publication of the legislative proposals, which are due on 6thJune 2018. In that context, I look forward to engaging constructively with the Presidency, my European counterparts and the European Commission, to ensure that the next CAP continues to provide necessary support to the Irish and European agriculture sector.

I would like to reassure the deputy that I will continue to seek a strong CAP budget in the upcoming negotiations.

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