IFA: Maintaining a fully-funded CAP budget remains top priority

Maintaining a fully-funded CAP budget remains the number one priority for Irish farming, said IFA president John Bryan following discussions in Brussels yesterday with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

Mr Coveney chaired the Farm Council for the first time as part of the Irish presidency of the EU. His meeting with delegates from European farming groups has also set the scene for next week’s summit that will decide the EU budget for the next seven years.

Mr Coveney advised the meeting he was confident of a deal on CAP funding as part of the negotiations.

Thereafter, he said he hoped to conclude a deal on CAP reform with the Council of Ministers by the end of March, and with the other institutions by the end of June.

John Bryan said: “We will maintain the maximum pressure for both Pillar 1 and Pillar 11 funding in the next CAP.”

He said the budget is worth €11bn to the Irish economy over the next seven years.