From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D. today confirmed that his Department has published the European Commission’s Observations letter in respect of Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
The Minister said:
“The European Commission’s Observations letter has now been published on my Department’s website, at the following link: [external-link www.gov.ie/cap| www.gov.ie/cap]. As I indicated previously, we are currently working through the observations, which are lengthy, with a view to making an initial high-level response to the Commission over the coming days. The Commission is expected to formally publish its letter, together with our initial response, after Easter. Technical engagement with the Commission on the observations has already commenced, and will continue in earnest after the Easter break, with a view to having the Plan approved as soon as possible.”
Minister McConalogue noted that the Ex-Ante Evaluation of Ireland’s draft Plan, which has been carried out by a consultancy team led by RSM Ireland, has now also been published on his Department’s website.
The Minister said:
“The preparation of the Ex-Ante Evaluation marks the fulfilment of another of the requirements set out under EU legislation. This has been shared with stakeholders, together with the Commission’s observations letter. Arrangements have been made for the CAP Stakeholder Consultative Committee to discuss these latest developments at the end of this month, and engagement with stakeholders will continue as the approval process unfolds.”
Concluding, the Minister said:
“I look forward to constructive engagement between my Department and the Commission on the approval process over the coming months, and to timely approval of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan so that we can provide full clarity for Ireland’s farmers and farm families on what they can expect from the CAP, and what is expected from them, over the period from 2023 to 2027.
“I am confident that our CAP plan is robust and is cognisant of food security as well as driving improvements in biodiversity, water quality and the overall climate. It is a complex CAP plan that is focussed on delivering on these ambitions while also seeking to improve farm incomes.”
Note for Editors:
More information on Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan including the Commission observation letter is available at www.gov.ie/cap
The receipt of the Observations letter from the European Commission marks another important milestone in the development of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023 to 2027. Ireland is one of the nineteen Member States who submitted their plans ahead of the statutory deadline of 1 January 2022, and to whom the Commission is now responding following an assessment by all of the relevant Commission services, including those responsible for agriculture, climate and the environment.
The Commission has carried out a comprehensive assessment of Ireland’s draft Plan. The observations are lengthy, covering the three general objectives of the CAP, the nine specific objectives, the cross-cutting knowledge, innovation and digitalisation objective, the strategic focus of the Plan and the individual interventions that Ireland has proposed. They comprise a mixture of high-level and more detailed, technical observations. The Commission has also asked all Member States to review their Plans in the context of the impacts arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the need to strengthen the sector’s resilience while also achieving greater environmental sustainability.
The Department will continue to consult stakeholders as the approval process unfolds over the coming months. The approval process will be a continuation of the structured dialogue with the Commission which has proven to be very effective to date. This engagement will intensify as we work through the final elements with a view to getting agreement on the draft plan before the Summer break.