IFA President Meets President of AgFish Council on CAP
IFA President Francie Gorman was in Luxembourg yesterday to meet the President of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council Maria Panayiotou on behalf of COPA.
They discussed the Common Agricultural Policy and other related matters. It was the final Agrifish Council under the Cypriot Presidency before Ireland takes over the EU Presidency on Wednesday.
Francie Gorman was attending in his role as Vice President of COPA, the umbrella body for European farmers.
“The reality is that the first key step on the CAP is the finalisation of the EU budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). We need a proper budget for CAP which at least gives an increase to cover inflation,” he said.
“In addition, the current proposals would make the CAP an element of a larger funding heading. This would greatly reduce the certainty of the budget for the seven-year period 2028 to 2034,” he said
“We need a separate CAP budget as we have had since we joined the EU – then the EEC – in 1973. What is proposed by the Commission is dangerous as it will leave funds open to being diverted to other projects,” he said.
The IFA President also raised Mercosur and support to offset rising fertiliser prices.
The IFA National Council will hold a meeting in Brussels today and will undertake a full round of lobbying on CAP and other issues in advance of Ireland taking over the EU Presidency.
