States must compromise to agree meaningful CAP deal, says MEP

Compromises between EU member states will be necessary to gain a meaningful new CAP agreement, but they will not be easy to achieve, Ireland East MEP Mairead McGuinness believes.

One of the lead negotiators on direct payments, Ms McGuinness said this week’s trilogue process of talks between negotiators from the European Parliament, the council and commission was the final and perhaps most difficult phase of the CAP reform process.

Definitions of terms like active farmers, payments to young farmers, and details of the small farmer scheme have all proven to be bones of contention between states. Nonetheless, Ms McGuinness said progress is being made towards compromise.