Martin Kenny
Question:3. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on negotiations of the Common Agricultural Policy. [70366/26]
View answerThursday, 8 October 2026
Questions (3)
Oral answers (12 contributions)
I want to ask the Minister where we are at in respect of the CAP negotiations. We need an update on the CAP. Ireland has the Presidency and there was great hope that progress would be made in that context. We were coming into this with the possibility of a 22% cut in the CAP, which has alarmed farmers across Europe and particularly here in Ireland, who depend so much on it. I would like an update on where the negotiations are at because we have seen a situation emerging in recent days where other countries in Europe are looking for an even larger cut than what had been proposed. I would like to get a clear update as to where we stand in respect of that.
I thank the Deputy for the question. CAP is the number one priority from the agriculture perspective in terms of this autumn period, not just because Ireland has the Presidency, but because the decisions that are being made and the progress that has been made to date are critically important for what will matter for the agriculture sector for the next seven years. The European Commission published its legislative proposals for the CAP for the period 2028 to 2034 in July of last year. Following publication, negotiations began with detailed technical examination by member states in the Council working party and subsequently moved on to drafting compromise texts.
Since Ireland assumed the Presidency of the Council on 1 July this year, we have continued this work intensively. The Irish Presidency engaged with member states through bilateral consultations and formal Council discussions to identify outstanding issues for member states with the CAP regulation. I had the informal meeting here in Dublin and in Kildare in September. I had Council meetings in July and September, as well as the three that are ahead of us for the remaining three months of this year. Arising from these discussions, further compromise texts have been drafted and presented to member states.
At the most recent AGRIFISH Council meeting, Ministers took stock of the progress made and provided political guidance on the outstanding issues. Ministers welcomed the progress achieved to date and were broadly supportive of the Irish Presidency's plan to advance negotiations. Our focus now is on resolving the remaining issues over the coming weeks, through further technical work and political discussions with member states and the European Commission. We will work to develop a text that addresses these issues and has the broadest possible support among member states.
My objective has been clear; it is to reach a partial general approach on the CAP regulation at the AGRIFISH Council meetings in Luxembourg on 26 and 27 of this month. A partial general approach, or PGA as it is known, would mean that the Council has reached agreement on all aspects of the CAP regulation except for those that form part of the negotiation box of the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, which will ultimately be decided by Heads of State and Government at European Council level. I have more detail which I can go into in the replies to supplementary questions.
I appreciate that. I also appreciate the work that is being done. The Minister said the compromise text has been advanced to some extent. What we would like to get is a little detail as to where we are at in regard to the funding. The plan depends on whether we have got the money. That is the big issue that most farmers are concerned about. I appreciate the Minister's concern about it as well. I have stated that clearly. How have we been able to use the leverage that we have with the Presidency of the EU over this six-month period to ensure that we have a CAP that reflects the needs of farmers, and the needs of consumers and food security across the EU? That is the key problem that we have here. The whole focus across the EU has been on arms, protection, defence and so on, and the CAP has been pushed to one side. That is the experience people are relaying back to me, not just here in Ireland but from Brussels as well. We need a very clear statement from the Minister that the money we were afraid we were going to lose has been restored. Has that happened and has progress been made to make sure that will happen?
What I outlined at the start was the work that has been undertaken by me at the AGRIFISH Council working towards the partial general approach of the Council of the other 26 Ministers for agriculture - the elements of the CAP regulation that are within our control. Parts of that are bracketed and have the financial piece beside it and they are impacted by the negotiation box. The Irish Presidency will publish the latest draft of the negotiation box this weekend. That will outline the further positions around the MFF, the overall budget.
I have a very ambitious target for the PGA at the Council that I believe is achievable. Given the significance of the CAP as a common EU policy, it is important that as a Council of agriculture Ministers we reach a conclusion on the CAP sectoral regulation. I understand why most farmers just want to jump to where the money is at, but I have got to do the CAP regulation at the same time because the MFF is progressing. I am reflecting the view of the entire Council. The entire AGRIFISH Council of 27 member states is clearly united that we need an adequately funded CAP. That is a given. That is what I have been saying for the past 20 months when I have been a Minister in this position and that is what I still reflect as President of the Council.
I appreciate that and I understand it. We look forward to this weekend when hopefully clarity will be brought to it if it is being published.
I want to raise another issue with the Minister in respect of that. One of the things that alarmed a lot of farmers in Ireland because of the ageing nature of our farming community is the proposal coming in that if a farmer is in receipt of a pension, he would not be able to receive funds under CAP.
We need clarity on that as well because it has alarmed an awful lot of people in the farming community.
Generational renewal is another issue, which of course, we also need to see progress on. CAP needs to be central to that as well. I absolutely appreciate that the regulations and getting all this right is part of it as well, but none of that can happen unless we know we have the money and the funds in place to deliver it. The difficulty that farmers have is that they see all the time that money being diminished and diminished for other things and not going back into food security, which is vital for the European Union. It was the basis on which the whole lot was set up for in the very beginning. I ask the Minister to give me clarity on those two issues in addition to further assurance that this weekend we will know where we stand. Regarding the proposal, he said he is ambitious around it. Does ambition mean that he is going to ensure that we will restore the full amount or that we propose to lose that 22%?
The Deputy has to put those questions to the Department of Finance and the Taoiseach. Ultimately, the financial element will be sorted at the European Council meetings of the Prime Ministers. A negotiation box will be published by the Irish Presidency. I do not handle the MFF, but I have had significant input as chair of the AGRIFISH Council under the Irish Presidency. The broader point to explain here is that there are three legs to this stool. There is the Commission. Commissioner Hansen made his proposals in July of last year. There is the Council, which is the 27 Ministers for agriculture of every member state. I am chairing that Council now. There is the EU Parliament. By agreeing the CAP sectorial regulation, which I am progressing and getting to, that will be our bit finished. Commissioner Hansen had his proposals last year. Our MEPs are working on their proposals, and they will be concluded by January, then we move into the trilogue phase. That runs concurrent to the funding. The funding is key. It is absolutely imperative. The Commissioner made the proposal around the mandatory pension element. Other member states and I have clearly expressed the view that we do not-----
Is it off the table?
-----agree with that. Everything is on the table-----
That concludes the question.
-----until everything is agreed. It is absolutely in the mix there. That will be the trilogues where the Council position will be one. The Commission will have the other and the European Parliament will have the other. We will be into next year before that detail is finally confirmed.
As we proceed, I ask Members to stick to their allocated time. I do not want to be cutting across their contributions, but I am not here to allow Members to speak beyond the time that has been given them.
I apologise.