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Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said that a number of key elements to the agriculture council’s general approach on CAP reform are still to be agreed, with intensive engagement expected at EU level in coming weeks.
The comments came during the Minister's first meeting with the CAP stakeholder consultative committee on Thursday.
The committee includes 27 stakeholder groups in addition to representatives from the Department of Agriculture.
Minister McConalogue said: “I really appreciate the time and effort that all stakeholders are putting into the work of the consultative committee, which has a key role to play in ensuring effective stakeholder involvement in the CAP reform process.”
Brussels discussions
On Monday, the Minister attended his first AgriFish Council meeting in Brussels, where discussions focused on the CAP reform package.
The Minister called for a strong green ambition to be maintained in the negotiations.
“The new CAP must ensure better environmental and climate outcomes built on a common baseline, while also allowing necessary flexibility for member states,” Minister McConalogue said.
During the visit to Brussels, the Minister met with Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner designate Mairead McGuinness and a number of Irish MEPs to discuss issues relating to CAP reform.
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