Battle under way to protect Irish farmers’ CAP payments post-2013

THE battle is already under way in Europe to protect the high level of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to Irish farmers for the period 2013-2021.

Ireland East member of the European Parliament Liam Aylward said negotiations have already begun concerning how the annual EU budget, valued at €130 billion a year, will be spent during the next financial perspective covering that period.

Mr Aylward, a member of the agriculture committee in the European Parliament, said these budgetary negotiations will conclude in Europe 2011.

“Ireland needs to build up strong alliances in Europe so as to guarantee that we can protect the same level of payments made to Irish farmers under the CAP for this period 2013-2021, as is presently the case.

“We need to engage in these negotiations from a position of strength and not from a position of weakness,” he said.

Mr Aylward said as a result of last year’s health check on the policy, Irish farmers will be receiving €9 billion in direct payments under the CAP for the period 2009- 2013.

“Irish agriculture is still a vital industry in Ireland and we need to fully protect this sector in the context of future EU budgetary discussions,” he said.

EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said recently it was clear the debate on the future CAP and, in particular, on the future of direct payments had already “informally” started.

The next European Commission, which will be appointed later this year, would start the formal procedure in the summer or early autumn of 2010 by launching a public debate.

She said this would be followed by legal proposals in mid-2011 together with financial perspective proposals.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has already launched a public consultation process in Ireland on the CAP post-2013.

Mr Smith said a number of key issues are already emerging from debates across the EU with regard to the CAP and for these reasons, he said he had decided to undertake a consultation process.

The minister has invited interested parties to submit their views on the range of issues that arise in relation to the CAP’s future.