Minister Heydon committed to working for an effective Common Agriculture Policy
- Published on: 16 July 2025
- Last updated on: 18 July 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has commented ahead of the publication later today by the European Commission of its proposals for the next EU Budget (MFF) post-2027 and the next Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
Minister Heydon said:
“These are complex legislative proposals which will need detailed consideration. The Commission is proposing major changes in structure that we will now study in detail in order to better understand the impact on Ireland.”
Noting that specific provisions have been included in the Commission proposals for key policies, including the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), Minister Heydon reaffirmed his priorities:
“My priority throughout will be to ensure that the legislation finally agreed reflects Ireland’s concerns and provides certainty and stability for farmers, fishers and rural communities.”
The Minister noted that the publication of the proposals marks an important step, but that this is the start of a process which will form a key focus for Ireland when it assumes the EU Presidency in July 2026:
“Today’s publication is just the beginning of a protracted process. Member States will, through the Council of Ministers, begin the process of agreeing a general approach to the Commission’s proposals, before engaging in line by line negotiations with the EU Parliament and the EU Commission. This will take some time, and I fully expect the progression of these proposals to be a significant feature of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of next year.”
Minister Heydon concluded:
“I will work closely with my EU counterparts, with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, and with stakeholders, including farm bodies, to ensure that these objectives are achieved.
“I will host the first meeting of Ireland’s CAP Consultative Committee tomorrow which will engage in detail on these proposals.”