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Ireland will not commit to ring-fencing a set percentage of direct payment funds for eco-schemes, Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary has told his European counterparts.
Speaking at a meeting of the Agriculture Council in Brussels on Monday, Minister Calleary said ring-fencing a budget for eco-schemes increased the risk of unspent CAP funds, something he could not support.
Eco-schemes are to replace greening under new CAP proposals and will reward farmers taking environmental action above a basic level. Greening requirements will be incorporated into these higher cross compliance standards known as enhanced conditionality.
Farmers currently receive 30% of their direct payment for meeting greening requirements.
Lost funds
It will be mandatory for member states to offer eco-schemes to farmers who will have the choice to opt in or out. However, those who opt out will lose the eco-scheme portion of their payment.
If funds were ring-fenced for eco-schemes, they could only be used for that purpose, Calleary said. A low take-up by farmers of these schemes would mean countries would be unable to fully draw down their CAP funds.
Minister Calleary said: “I cannot accept that member states who raise their environmental ambition by allocating funds to eco schemes should risk the loss of any funds.
“We've always considered that in the spirit of the new CAP, member states would make their own decision on the appropriate level of funding for eco-schemes.”
Budget
Calleary said that level of funding could be set when the final CAP budget was known and there was no risk that funds would be lost.
“It is also important to note that a ring-fenced percentage is not the only factor to show increased ambition, what we do with eco-schemes, and what they achieve, will determine that,” Minister Calleary said.
SHARING OPTIONS: