Deal marks major reform of CAP
Joe Walsh said the agreement marks the completion of a major process of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The conclusion of the negotiations on this dossier was one of the priorities of the Irish presidency.
The agreement reached at a special meeting of the EU Farm Council here, chaired by Mr Walsh, followed several months of negotiations.
It represents the integration of the Mediterranean products and hops into the new CAP framework and marks a shift from the current production linked payments to the decoupled single farm payment scheme while taking account of specific production circumstances of the products in question.
Mr Walsh said the reform decisions are in the best interests of farmers, consumers and the environment alike.
The completion of the reform process will ensure a more secure CAP, based firmly on the principles of market orientation and sustainability, he said.
Meanwhile, the minister announced that in accordance with the protocol on direct payments, his department will issue over 146,000 annual payment statements for 2003 to farmers in the coming days. The statement gives details to each farmer of all payments made to him/her by the department during 2003. It also includes a list of contact points (with lo-call phone numbers).
