Minister launches public consultation process on CAP

A PUBLIC consultation process on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2013 has been launched by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith.

He said yesterday it is necessity for the deliberations to commence sooner rather than later. Funding arrangements for the CAP are fixed until 2013 under the current EU financial perspective.

Mr Smith said there is a review in train of all aspects of the EU budget. It will be followed by negotiations to determine the composition of the next financial perspective of the EU from 2014 to 2020. This will include the funding available for agriculture and rural development. Parallel with this process, the 27 member states and the European Commission are in the early stages of considering the shape and content of the Common Agricultural Policy for the period after 2013.

Mr Smith said a number of common themes and key issues are emerging from these debates. With discussions on the future EU budget, these are set to inform the concrete proposals that will be tabled at a later date.

“For these reasons I have decided to undertake a consultation process with Irish stakeholders to obtain their views on what EU agriculture policies they believe will serve Ireland and the EU best in the years to come,” he said.

The minister has invited interested parties to submit their views on the range of issues that arise in relation to the future of the CAP. In order to facilitate consideration of this matter, he said his department has prepared an information note outlining the context, and some of the options and possibilities being put forward for European agricultural policy after 2013, and setting out briefly the views Ireland has expressed to date.

* Written submissions should be sent by email to [e-mail] or by post to EU Trade Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Floor 6 Centre, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 marked “Submission on CAP after 2013”.

The deadline for receipt of submissions is Wednesday, 30 September 2009. The consultation document is available on the department’s website www.agriculture.gov.ie. It is also available on request from EU Trade Division, telephone number 01 607 2422 or 607 2813 or email to [e-mail]