Latest news with #MultiannualFinancialFramework
Agriland
2 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon committed to 2-pillar CAP but has no ‘crystal ball'
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has reaffirmed his commitment to the traditional two-pillar structure of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but has said he has no 'crystal ball'. The minister was speaking at his first appearance as a senior minister in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. A range of topics came up, with CAP, and its future post-2027, being one of the main issued raised by TDs and senators on the committee. The European Commission is understood to be planning a radical overhaul of the EU's long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), in which the funding to member states would be consolidated into a single funding pot, with member states then developing a plan to outline how they would use that funding. This has sparked concern that the two-pillar structure of CAP, and even a dedicated budget for the entire CAP, could be scrapped in favour of a single member state fund. The minister was quizzed on this by Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who asked: 'The overall budget in CAP, is it going to be bigger, yes or no? Is Ireland's budget going to be bigger to accommodate it if we're going to be tweaking around on it? Are we going to have Pillar I and Pillar II, is it going to be the same system?' In answer to Fitzmaurice, the minister said: 'Apologies deputy, I left my crystal ball at home, so I don't have that, and we'd all love to know those answers. 'What I can tell you is we'll know in the middle of July. Around July 16 is when these [plans] are going to be announced, and all I can tell you is we are doing everything in our power. 'I can't be clearer – we want to maintain the [CAP] fund, we want to maintain Pillar I and II, we want a fully funded CAP,' he added. 'Will we get that?… We know all the other demands there are on other sides.' Fitzmaurice then asked if, in a situation where the CAP in its traditional form was not forthcoming, the government would be prepared to step in and 'prop it up'. Minister Heydon said: 'We could end up with so many different scenarios here… If what was leaked out in terms of a single fund was to come about…I would make the point that it would be a very bad thing. That would mean renationalisation of our system. It would actually undermine the whole [EU] single market. 'I'm not going to get into predicting what might come of what outcome, because there's so many different outcomes there can be here. 'What I can tell you right now is we are making every effort across government to put our best foot forward to maintain a fully funded cap with the traditional structure that has served our sector so well,' he added. The minister also noted that, in the second half of 2026, when the CAP budget is likely to be finalised, Ireland will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, one of the legislative bodies of the EU, meaning Minister Heydon, if he is still in office, will be the chairperson of the council of agriculture ministers during that period. He said: 'The first element of this is actually the MFF. What happens with the overall budget will totally determine what happens with CAP. 'In terms of the role we play in the agriculture council… What we do have is, in the second half of 2026, I'll be the chair of the council of ministers and, as we're working through that, we'll be working on the basis of consensus. 'I'm meeting with every other minister bilaterally to understand their priorities and so they understand our priorities… Hopefully before the end of 2026 under the Irish presidency, I;ll be in a position to get that CAP over the line by means of consensus.
Agriland
20-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Watch: Farmers protest in heart of Dublin city over future of CAP funding
Farmers from all over Ireland gathered in the heart of Dublin city centre today (Tuesday, May 20) to protest over fears about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget. The joint protest organised by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) took place outside the European Commission's offices in the city centre. The European Commission last week (May 14) published a large package of measures designed to 'simplify the CAP and boost EU farmers' competitiveness'. The CAP is a common policy for all EU countries and is managed and funded at European level from the resources of the EU's budget. The commission is understood to be planning a radical overhaul to the EU budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – as part of which the commission is planning to merge its various funding programmes into a smaller number of funds, which would be allocated all together to member states. However, the IFA has warned the commission against 'stripping away the CAP budget in favour of a single fund approach to the EU budget under the MFF'. The president of ICOS, Edward Carr, has also stressed that CAP is the 'foundation of a sustainable and competitive farming and agri-food sector in Ireland and Europe'. CAP protest The Dublin protest coincided with other protests across EU member states today that were organised by various farming organisations. The protest in Dublin was led by deputy president of the IFA, Alice Doyle, and the president of ICOS, Edward Carr. IFA deputy president Doyle believes that any changes to the CAP could have 'huge consequences' for the farming community in Ireland, and across the European Union. She told Agriland: 'It means that that budget can be pilfered at any time and money from that budget can be used for anything other than just food production. 'The CAP budget has always been there to protect food production, and food security in Europe. If that budget is not ring fenced, there is always a risk that the budget can be used for something else, and that food production will not be supported. 'At this moment, there couldn't be anything more important than food security.' According to ICOS president Carr, farming is not sustainable unless the industry is supported by the European Union. He said: 'We're proud to be farmers, we're proud of what we do, we want to continue to do it, and we want the next generation after us to be able to do it. Unless we are supported it's not possible. 'We are one of the best countries in the world to produce food, and we need to protect that. We can produce sustainably in this country, and that needs to be protected.' 'This is another crossroads, farmers are being faced with a lot of change over the last few years, farmers have embraced those changes, just as there is a little bit of settlement coming back into the change,' Carr added. European Commission The European Commission's representative in Ireland, Peter Power, reassured Irish farmers that they 'will be heard'. Speaking to farmers at the protest, he said that farmers have always been central to the European project, and that that has not changed. 'The president of the Commission (Ursula von der Leyen) has made it very clear, farmers are entitled to a fair and sufficient income. 'Commissioner Hansen came here in January to hear directly about the concerns from Irish farmers. We are in listening mode.' 'The budgetary cycle is kicking in now. Your protest comes at a timely manner, when your voice will be heard,' Power added.
Euronews
20-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
EU budget chief soothes farmers fears over funding changes
Europe's Budget Commissioner sought to reassure farmers protesting outside the institution's headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday for the first time in almost a year. Farmers oppose a Commission plan to consolidate different EU funding streams, such as the bloc's farming, regional subsidy and research funds, into a single budgetary pot. While the idea has not yet been formally proposed, they fear the dismantling of the common agriculture policy (CAP), particularly of its support for rural development. During an exchange on the sidelines of the protest witnessed by Euronews, budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin met with farmers' representatives. Farmers urged Serafin to safeguard a distinct agricultural budget, highlighting the need to support small farms and address the growing challenge of generational renewal in the sector. They stressed the importance of protecting Europe's food sovereignty and ensuring that CAP retains its core identity. 'Tout est clair [all is clear],' Serafin replied in French at the end of the meeting, assuring farmers he had understood their concerns. He said he would relay their message to EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen. 'No decision has been taken yet,' Serafin pointed out, adding that the single-pot idea is still only at the conceptual stage. He added that he remains open to dialogue and welcomed continued discussion with the sector ahead of the presentation of the budget proposal. As head of the Directorate-General for Budget (DG BUDG), Serafin is responsible for preparing the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU's long-term budget. The current MFF runs from 2021 to 2027, with the Commission expected to present its proposal for the 2028–2034 cycle in early July. Farmers protested during the previous MFF negotiations in February 2020, opposing proposed cuts to CAP funding. While concerns over funding levels persist, the latest protest reflects deeper anxieties about the CAP's structure. One farmers' representative warned during the meeting against giving member states too much leeway in implementing CAP – a trend reflected in recent efforts to simplify EU policies – claiming that would risk undermining the policy's unity and common EU identity. Speaking to Euronews after the meeting, a senior official for Copa-Cogeca, the EU farmers' lobby, said Serafin's openness to dialogue was a welcome outcome. However, farmers remain sceptical about the future of rural development funding, which they fear may in future be forced to compete with general regional funding in future. Hungary's parliament approved a bill on Tuesday that would kickstart the country's year-long withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The vote formalises a process started in early April by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who announced his country would quit the global court that prosecutes those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. "Hungary firmly rejects the use of international organisations - in particular criminal courts - as instruments of political influence," the bill, submitted by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen, made public on parliament's website, said. According to Orbán, the court is no longer "impartial" but rather a "political court". Budapest has rejected the ICC's arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is being sought for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. According to the warrant, Netanyahu should be threatened with arrest in ICC member countries such as Hungary. In March, Hungary defied the warrant when Netanyahu arrived in Budapest for a rare trip abroad. The ICC initiated non-compliance proceedings against Hungary in response. Budapest has openly rejected the idea of arresting the Israeli leader and called the warrant "brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable." Netanyahu, in turn, called Hungary's decision to leave the ICC a "bold and principled decision". Hungary's decision to leave the ICC will take at least a year to complete. In withdrawing, Hungary is set to become the first European country of the 125-member court to leave the global authority, and will make it the sole non-signatory within the EU as well. The court was set up over two decades ago to prosecute the world's most serious criminal cases, such as crimes against humanity and genocide. China, Russia, the US and Israel are not members of the court.
Agriland
20-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Protests over CAP overhaul to get underway today
A number of protests will get underway in Dublin and across Europe today (Tuesday, May 20) in relation to proposals to streamline the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) into a single fund. Launched in 1962, the EU's CAP is a partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers. It aims to: Support farmers and improve agricultural productivity, ensuring a stable supply of affordable food; Safeguard European Union farmers to make a reasonable living; Help tackle climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources; Maintain rural areas and landscapes across the EU; Keep the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-food industries and associated sectors. The CAP is a common policy for all EU countries and is managed and funded at European level from the resources of the EU's budget. The European Commission is understood to be planning a radical overhaul to the EU budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – as part of which the commission is planning to merge its various funding programmes into a smaller number of funds, which would be allocated all together to member states. Member states would then outline how they plan to use the funding, which the commission would then approve. This could not only see the merging of funding for both pillars of CAP, but potentially also the end of ringfenced funding for CAP. Today, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) alongside the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) will stage a 'flash protest' at the European Commission offices in Dublin city. The IFA said it wants to 'warn the commission against stripping away the CAP budget in favour of a single fund approach'. The Dublin protest will coincide with other protests being organised across Europe by other farm organisations. Copa Cogeca, the umbrella organisation representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives, confirmed that the 'pan-European flash action' will take place in Brussels. The organisation said it will support the protest which is being organised by Belgian national farmers' organisations, FWA/UAW and BoerenBond. The demonstration coincides with the Annual EU Budget Conference 2025 where the next long-term union budget will be discussed. Agriland will bring you all the latest from the protest which gets underway at 9.30a.m Dublin today. CAP Meanwhile, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has called for the upcoming CAP programme to ensure the family farm model is protected while delivering fair and achievable outcomes for its farmers. INHFA president Vincent Roddy has outlined the importance of CAP support, especially for suckler, beef and sheep farmers where income volatility and low margins have seen a continued decline in livestock numbers and farmers. Roddy stressed: 'It is vital there is a ring-fenced CAP budget that recognises the critical role of our farmers in terms of food production, landscape management and supporting our rural communities. 'Any new CAP programme must promote sustainable agricultural practices that are carried out on our extensive grazing model that benefits both production and the environment.' He also added that the new CAP needs to ensure farming is more attractive for the next generation. 'The [CAP] budget must recognise the increased demands that have been made on farmers and also, restrictions that continue to reduce output and income,' Roddy continued. The INHFA president stressed the need to continue with the convergence of payments while also increasing payments on the first 30ha through a more ambitious Complementary Redistribution of Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) model. 'This will help protect the smaller holdings dominated by suckler and sheep farmers and the wider rural communities that are so dependent on these sectors,' he explained. With regard to proposals around conditionality, the INHFA has said that the terms and conditions must include a satisfactory yellow card system that gives farmers a chance to address any breach of the conditions.
Agriland
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
MEP calls for immediate reversal of rural housing restrictions
Independent Ireland MEP, Ciaran Mullooly has today (May 19) urged local authorities to immediately reverse restrictions on one-off rural housing. The MEP has warned that current planning policies are driving a deepening emergency for families and communities across Ireland and Europe. Addressing the Housing Crisis Committee, MEP Mullooly highlighted the acute challenges faced by rural homeowners, particularly in Ireland, where building a home on family land has historically been the only viable route to homeownership for people. The MEP also condemned the 'growing' trend of local people being denied planning permission after incurring prohibitive costs for reports, only to be refused the right to build on ancestral land. According to the MEP, these barriers are 'fueling a cycle of depopulation', with young people unable to return, local schools losing teachers, sports clubs folding, and vital community hubs like pubs and post offices closing. Rural housing MEP Mullooly has criticised planning systems that prioritise environmental protections, such as safeguarding bogs, over the 'survival of rural communities'. He said: 'Let me be absolutely clear, rural Ireland is not a museum. It is not to be preserved for the benefit of planning documents or biodiversity reports. 'Rural Ireland is living and breathing, but struggling to survive, impacted by decisions made in distant rooms with no links to that place.' 'So we must see the full deployment of the Just Transition fund and ERDF fund to support these local communities,' Mullooly added. The MEP has called for a balanced approach that recognises both the socio-economic and cultural benefits of one-off housing and the advances in modern environmental techniques that can address legitimate concerns. Mullooly also warned that uncertainty over future funding in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF) threatens to undermine vital rural development efforts. He called for full deployment of the Just Transition fund and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to empower local communities and insisted that planning must be community-led and designed by locals rather than 'imposed from distant bureaucracies'.
