Organisation: COPA

Jury still out as EU avoids controversial vote on weedkiller licence

European farmer groups Copa and Cogeca want EU decision makers to approve a 15-year glyphosate licence to allow farmers build the herbicide into their plans.

Fri, 27 Oct, 2017

Copa-Cogea seeks greater focus on risk management

More focus must be put on measures to help farmers better manage risks under the Common Agricultural Policy.

Mon, 11 Sep, 2017

EU farmers upbeat about economic future

European farmer economic optimism rose in Q1 2017 relative to 2016, when spirits hit an all-time low, a survey by the joint EU-wide farmer unions Copa and Cogeca has found.

Fri, 01 Sep, 2017

Q&A: Little Canadian interest in 50,000t EU beef trade

Q&A: Canada-EU trade deal

Thu, 23 Feb, 2017

Ireland could be last country with free range eggs

Ireland could be the last country in the EU with free range eggs available, if poultry confinement due to the bird flu threat continues.

Thu, 09 Feb, 2017

Agri chiefs await Brexit as Europe fixes CAP

A process of regular consultation between Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and his British counterpart, Andrea Leadsom, on the implications of Brexit for the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors has started.

Tue, 03 Jan, 2017

ICMSA seeks less conversation, more action on retail issues

Proposals by an EU task-force on how to improve the positions of farmers in the food supply chain have met with mixed responses from agri-food stakeholders.

Mon, 21 Nov, 2016

Phil Hogan says EU policy stands firm on three-legged stool

The structure of the three-legged stool, which was once a key part of the daily milking routine in Ireland, has not been lost on the European Union Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan.

Mon, 17 Oct, 2016

Food producers hit by fragile markets and excessive red tape, warns Copa

The fragile state of commodity markets and excessive red tape under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are key challenges facing European farmers and food processors.

Mon, 03 Oct, 2016

Minister Michael Creed and EU colleagues focus on food chain equity

The weak relative position of farmers in the food supply chain is a long-standing issue that needs to be definitively addressed, according to Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.

Mon, 19 Sep, 2016

Europe sharpens focus on crucial ecological role of bees

Beekeepers and environmentalists globally are increasingly concerned about the threat posed to honey bees and other important pollinators by insecticides.

Mon, 25 Jul, 2016

Copa push for action on retail

Farmers have welcomed a European Parliament vote backing a report on limitations of the voluntary EU Supply Chain Initiative, wherein complaints can’t be lodged confidentially and which has no penalties for non-compliance.

Fri, 17 Jun, 2016

Food forum predicts valuable future role for drones

Drones can play a critical role in helping farmers with limited resources to produce more food to feed a growing world, a conference in the Netherlands was told.

Mon, 13 Jun, 2016

St Petersburg forum to debate EU-Russian trade revival

The relationship between the European Union and Russia will be discussed at the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in 10 days time.

Mon, 06 Jun, 2016

Oliver Moore: Choppy waters up ahead for herbicide

The approvals process for the widely used but controversial herbicide glyphosate has hit another stumbling block en route to its possible re-authorisation in June.

Thu, 21 Apr, 2016

Survey underlines broad support for Common Agricultural Policy role

There is broad support among Europeans for the contribution of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to the European Commission’s top priorities, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.

Wed, 13 Jan, 2016

Eddie Downey’s COPA vice-president job up for grabs

Former IFA President Eddie Downey remains in place as a vice-president of the COPA grouping for EU farmers’ organisations, with the Brussels-based grouping saying yesterday it awaited official communication from IFA on Mr Downey’s resignation, before assessing how to proceed.

Thu, 03 Dec, 2015

Farmers’ warning as MEPs target gases

MEPs voted yesterday to reduce emissions such as ammonia — despite Europe’s farming lobby warning them production will be shifted to non EU-countries.

Thu, 29 Oct, 2015

Organic dairy may be a nice niche for farmers struggling with falling prices

By sheer number of farmers involved, dairy has always been one of the minor players in the organic sector.

Thu, 10 Sep, 2015

Irish farmers to join European protests over falling prices

The Irish Farmers Association is joining an international protest in Brussels today over the prices being paid for their produce.

Mon, 07 Sep, 2015

Farmers not prepared to take any more milk-price cuts, says IFA dairy chairman

The mood of farmers has changed to one of deep concern at the disappearance of their profitability, as the end of the market downturn drags on.

Mon, 13 Jul, 2015

EU agrees 7% cap on growing crops for transport biofuels

MEPs last week officially rubber-stamped an EU shift away from biofuel crops to alternative sources, such as seaweed or waste, in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions caused by land use for biofuel crops.

Thu, 07 May, 2015

EU farmer mood worsens as Russia trade falters and geopolitics simmer

Deteriorating trade relations with Russia and political tension in eastern Europe are common fears among farmers in European Union member states.

Wed, 30 Jul, 2014

‘Family farms remain at heart of EU agricultural policy’

Family farms are the foundations on which Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy was built.

Mon, 09 Dec, 2013

Coveney to push for agreement on EU distribution of direct payments

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, will be pushing to reach agreement on how direct payments are to be distributed within member states when the Agri/Fish Council reconvenes next week.

Sat, 23 Feb, 2013

Coveney warns superlevy fines of up to €10m are looking likely

Superlevy fines estimated at up to €10m are looking likely for Ireland, despite Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands also struggling to stay within their milk quotas.

Sat, 10 Mar, 2012

‘Ann epitomises quality of farm women’

DAIRY farmer Ann Moore, of Ballyspillane, Co Cork, has won the highly regarded COPA European Innovation Prize for Women Farmers.

Mon, 21 Nov, 2011

ICOS former president recognised for his exceptional contribution

THE Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) has awarded the Plunkett Award for Co-operative Endeavour to its former president Donie Cashman for his exceptional contribution to Irish agriculture.

Tue, 31 May, 2011

Fears of another global food crisis

FAVOURABLE economic growth trends, and high-crop yields in the next harvest season, are needed to avoid a return to a global food crisis, said the head of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation this week.

Thu, 31 Mar, 2011

IFA insists EU rural development funding levels must be maintained

SUFFICIENT EU funds must be made available to support key rural development measures, IFA National Rural Development chairman Tom Turley said at a special meeting of European farmer group COPA.

Sat, 12 Mar, 2011

MEPs want impact of South American trade deal on farmers to be analysed

THE European Parliament has supported a demand by Irish farmers to produce an analysis on how meat imports from Latin America would affect European farmers and the beef industry in particular.

Wed, 09 Mar, 2011

Germany eases its strong CAP stance

GERMAN support for a strong farm budget cooled this week, with the EU’s biggest paymaster saying all financial decisions have to be seen within the overall context of the EU budget — which Germany wants to limit at no more than 1% of the EU’s GDP.

Thu, 02 Dec, 2010

Farmers need EU backing to tackle power of retailers, conference told

FARMERS need European Union backing to achieve greater balance in their dealings with the large multiple retailers, IFA president John Bryan told EU authorities at yesterday’s COPA conference in Brussels.

Wed, 06 Oct, 2010

Importance of strong CAP after 2013 stressed to EU policymakers

EUROPEAN farmers and co-ops have urged policymakers in Brussels to ensure that there is a competitive agri-food sector and a strong Common Agricultural Policy after 2013, to prevent a complete collapse of the market.

Thu, 23 Sep, 2010

Strong CAP needed to help farmers cope with regulations, says Walshe

A STRONG Common Agricultural Policy is needed in the future to strengthen the economic role that farmers play in providing food and services to 500 million EU consumers.

Wed, 21 Jul, 2010

Farmers and co-ops demand EU action to prevent new dairy crisis

ACTION to prevent a new EU dairy crisis from emerging is being sought by Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella body for farmers and agri co-ops.

Thu, 15 Jul, 2010

IFA: Government should defend the interests of those who elected them

MINISTERS should follow the lead of British Secretary of State for Agriculture Caroline Spelman and defend the interests of the people who elected them, says the IFA.

Thu, 24 Jun, 2010

CAP must support farm incomes and address price and income volatility

THE future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must support farm incomes and address the issue of price and income volatility while at the same time avoiding market distortions.

Fri, 04 Jun, 2010

European farmers’ union demands equal rights for female workers

WOMEN are the backbone of the agricultural sector, according to Copa, the European farmers’ union.

Sat, 08 May, 2010

EU to address impact on agriculture during South American trade talks

THE European Commission has pledged to address any adverse impact on agriculture during relaunched trade talks with the Mercosur group of countries.

Thu, 06 May, 2010

Irish and French farmers will work together to maintain farm budget

IRISH and French farm leaders have agreed to work closely together to ensure that the European Union farm budget is maintained in its entirety and that the Common Agricultural Policy in the future continues to support agriculture and active European farmers.

Fri, 05 Mar, 2010