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Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney welcomed European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Ciolos, to Dublin today, and impressed upon the Commissioner the key CAP reform priorities for Ireland following the publication last October by the Commissioner of his legislative proposals for the period 2014 to 2020. Speaking after a meeting with the Commissioner, the Minister said:

The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will set the policy framework for Irish and EU agriculture, so it is important that we get it right. I have told Commissioner Ciolos today that the first priority from an Irish perspective is to secure the maximum possible funding from the EU budget negotiations in order to provide for a strong and well-resourced CAP. The second priority is to ensure that Ireland’s funding for both direct payments and rural development is maintained at current levels. In addition, we must provide the maximum possible flexibility for Member States to implement the payment models and transitional arrangements that best suit their farming conditions.

 From a strategic viewpoint, the Minister emphasised the commitment of both Ireland and the Commission to sustainable intensification of production, responsible environmental stewardship and the maintenance of a vibrant rural economy.

Although it is still early days, I made the Commissioner aware of some initial concern...there remains significant pressure for further cuts to the CAP budget. This pressure must be resisted. As regards the division of funding between Member States, while the proposals for the redistribution of direct payments are broadly satisfactory, I also expressed concern about the method proposed for the allocation of rural development funds.

The Minister emphasised that this is the start of what will be a lengthy process of negotiation:

The CAP reform proposals from the Commission contain many positive elements and interesting ideas. There are, however, many details still to be finalised, and many important issues remain to be resolved. My focus at all times will be on getting the best possible outcome for Ireland.

Read the full press release here.