Minister Heydon and Minister Dooley attend Agrifish Council in Brussels
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- An t-eolas is déanaí:
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley TD, are today attending the Agrifish Council in Brussels.
Key items on the agenda include discussions on aspects of the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy. Minister Heydon will also hold bilateral meetings with Czechia and Sweden.
Speaking ahead of today’s meeting, Minister Heydon said:
“I am pleased to be in Brussels today for Agrifish Council. I look forward to meeting with Commissioner Hansen and my EU counterparts. In just over four months’ time, Ireland will take on the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Irish Government is committed to delivering a successful Presidency for Europe.”
“Today, we will continue our deliberations on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy. During the Irish Presidency, we will play a crucial role in shaping the future CAP. I look forward to hearing from my colleagues around the table on their priorities. Our priority is to secure a properly funded CAP that is simpler, fairer and sufficiently flexible to respond to economic, social and environmental needs. This is important to farm families in Ireland and the wider agri-food sector, as it underpins the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector.”
Minister Heydon added:
“The Commission will also present its report evaluating the Unfair Trading Practices Directive. Ireland will continue to engage with Irish farming and food business stakeholders, and with An Rialálaí Agraibhia as the implementation body for the Directive, before finalising our position on the review.”
The Council will also include an informal lunch for ministers, where they will discuss the EU strategic priorities for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for 2026 and 2027.
Also commenting ahead of today’s meeting, Minister Dooley, added:
“I will be raising the need for the EU to take a strong position to protect our critical Mackerel stock ahead of next week’s Coastal States consultations. We need a positive outcome that addresses the EU’s needs in terms of a fair, comprehensive sharing arrangement, and the setting of the Total Allowable Catch for Mackerel that allows for the recovery of the stock while providing a level playing field for our fishermen and women.”