EU Commission Amends Fall Far Short of What’s Needed in Next CAP
IFA President Francie Gorman said the amendments put forward by the European Commission earlier this week to their initial MFF/CAP proposals from last July just prove how disconnected the Commission is from agriculture and farmers on the ground, but also how much an uphill battle potentially lies ahead.
“The move itself is an acknowledgement that their original proposals are not fit for purpose. But what’s on the table here is pure semantics by the Commission, an attempt simply to appease the European Parliament to avoid an early rejection of their July proposals. And I hope, given what’s on the pitch here, that they won’t simply roll over and bow to the Commission or we have a bigger problem ahead,” he said.
“Let’s be clear, and we need our MEPs to be under no allusions about it either, these tweaks don’t even scratch the surface of what’s needed. They do nothing to elevate the strategic importance of food security, nor increase the CAP budget for genuine active farmers. They do nothing to preserve the financial certainty or benefit of our traditional two-pillar structure. They do nothing with regard simplifying the design, governance and design of the next CAP either. Nor does it deliver any clarity on how necessary environmental action will be funded,” he said.
“We need our MEPs to land a clear message here and secure more ring-fenced money for farm schemes, young farmers and investment measures,” he said.
“There is no point saying, ‘it’s only a starting point to negotiations, and often what ends up being the position is far removed from where we are today’ when we aren’t even on the run-way for where we need to get to.”
“Farmers today are being hit by these proposals and with the uncertainty of what lies ahead. For example, the future of the entitlements system and farmers engaged in long-term leases; the ability to secure/repay bank finance for planned on-farm investment, especially if from more vulnerable farm sectors; nearing/at pension age. These are all real life issues today that our MEPs need to act on sooner rather than later,” Francie Gorman concluded.
