In his presentation to the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week, Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Günther Oettinger’s approach to CAP was more balanced than in previous statements, with a recognition that agriculture should not be severely cut.
Irish agriculture will now be placing its hopes on the ability of European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan to shape a CAP and influence a budget that is favourable to productive farmers, not just in Ireland but across the EU. He is coming off a considerable success with his marathon negotiations in Tokyo last weekend, where he managed to secure better access than expected for agriculture products, plus a major reduction in tariffs, in the EU-Japan trade deal.
Hogan has a record of robustly defending the CAP budget and what it delivers for EU citizens. His skills will be required in Brussels over the coming months to shape a constructive CAP for post-2020 and secure adequate funding to deliver it. This will be against a backdrop of the hole in finances caused by Brexit and an ever increasing lobby for other ways to spend the EU budget.
CAP is the model that has served EU citizens and farmers well over the past five decades – under many different guises – to reflect the priorities of the time. Further reform is inevitable and need not be negative.
It will be up to our Government and the IFA lobby in Brussels to make sure the voice of Ireland and farming is heard above the noise created by events like the publication of the reflective paper last week.
We need to make sure the needs of real farmers and citizens for a secure supply of high-quality welfare-friendly food is understood by the bubble that engulfs much of the EU.
CAP budget threat 'simply a reflection paper' – Minister Creed