France and Ireland agree joint approach to protect CAP funding

FRANCE and Ireland are taking a joint strategic approach to ensure strong funding for farmers under the forthcoming reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).

Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire issued a joint communication following their lengthy meeting in Paris.

The two ministers agreed to work together to seek the retention of current CAP funding levels.

On Thursday, Mr Coveney’s concerns about the threat which a Mercosur trade deal would represent for Irish beef were not allayed by his first meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels.

Furthermore, Agri Commissioner Dacian Ciolos said there would be no further softening of the milk quota system prior to 2015. The French support looks like delivering a more positive result on CAP reform.

Ministers Coveney and Le Maire’s joint communique stated: “Ireland has welcomed the position of French and German governments for a strong common agricultural policy beyond 2013, reflecting the main concerns of Ireland.

“France and Ireland have reaffirmed their close and fruitful co-operation on the future of the CAP and their shared belief of the strategic importance of the agriculture and food industry for both countries and throughout Europe.

“France and Ireland wish that the CAP has a budget to match its ambitions.

“France and Ireland will contribute to the development of a pragmatic method of budget allocation between member states which must be equitable, but also fiscally sustainable.”

The ministers will work jointly to ensure management measures for markets will be more efficient and responsive. They are pushing for the Commission to extend the dairy market mechanisms to other farming sectors.

The French and Irish ministers also share common concerns over the EU’s trade negotiations with Mercosur countries.

They said that European agriculture cannot be the adjustment variable on trade negotiations in a very difficult context for many agricultural sectors, beef in particular.

The two ministers have decided to launch an open initiative to show the contribution of cattle farming in Europe in the global fight against climate change.