From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today called for greater coherence in the consideration of Eco-schemes in the ongoing negotiations on the post-2020 CAP reform, in order to ensure they meet the needs of farmers and the environment.
Speaking at today’s informal video conference of Agriculture Ministers, which focused in large part on the so-called “Green Architecture” of the new CAP, and against the backdrop of European Parliament demands to have 30% of Member States’ direct payments envelopes allocated to Eco-schemes, Minister McConalogue said, “Ireland accepted the minimum 20% contribution from the direct payments envelope to eco-schemes as part of the Council General Approach agreed last October. We simply cannot consider the issue of the percentage allocation in isolation. There are far too many other issues that farmers must contend with which are still unresolved, including convergence, redistribution, capping and allocations to young farmers. We do not yet have certainty on any of these.”
The Minister continued, “In addition, the Council has sought a number of flexibilities, including a two-year learning phase for Eco-schemes, in order to introduce these schemes effectively and prevent potential loss of funds. I have been clear from the beginning that Ireland simply cannot accept such a major risk. In the absence of any sense that the Parliament is willing to accept these flexibilities, combined with the fact that we have no resolution of the direct payment targeting proposals, I am unable to consider any changes in the ECO scheme percentage. I also want to see the maximum possible flexibility given to Member States to design Eco-schemes in a way deemed most appropriate for their own farming conditions.”
In the context of the wider discussion on progress in the trilogue negotiations between the three institutions, the Minister noted the progress made by the Council Presidency in some areas, while also indicating that there remained work to do, for example in relation to conditionality requirements (GAECs 4, 8 and 9), the Common Market Organisation regulation and the (horizontal) regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP.
The Council also received an update from the European Commission on the market situation and on trade-related agricultural issues. Minister McConalogue emphasised the need for ongoing vigilance on the operation of markets, as well as in relation to the potential impact of international trade developments - including, but not exclusive to, free trade agreements and the adjustment to Brexit - on the agri-food sector.