EU’s budget proposals ‘threaten livelihoods’ by freezing payments

FARMING groups say the European Union’s new 2014-2020 budget proposals will threaten livelihoods by freezing direct farm payments against inflation and by seeking to redirect more money towards farmers in eastern Europe.

The EU proposes freezing agriculture to €371.7 billion for the set seven-year period. This works out at about €55bn a year, still roughly 40% of the EU’s annual €140bn per year spend. However, the farming budget will be fixed, while other sectors will rise by 5% annually, and some monies are to be redirected to favour eastern European farmers.

This proposed allocation for the farming budget is roughly in line with predictions suggested by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney at last week’s IFA Beef Conference in Tullamore, Co Offaly. He also reminded farmers this draft proposal would not be a fait accompli and that he would continue to work in tandem with his European allies to seek the best possible result for Irish farmers.