Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013
135. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the implications of the definition of active farmer under the reformed system of Common Agricultural Policy payments. [6913/13]
View answerThe definition of an active farmer has not yet been finalised in the CAP reform negotiations.
The original Commission proposal defined active farmers by reference to their receipts from agricultural activity, confining them to those whose annual direct payments are greater than or equal to 5% of the total receipts obtained from all non-agricultural economic activities or, in the case of certain types of grazing land, to those who carry out a minimum level of agricultural activity as established by the Member State.
The EU Agriculture Council had extensive debates on the Commission proposal and proposed removal of the income criterion from the Commission’s original definition. The Council also added language to allow Member States the option to exclude certain enterprises such as operators of airports, railway companies, waterworks, real estate companies, sport and recreational grounds, hunting estates, fishing and aquaculture estates, camping sites, or other like non-agricultural businesses or activities.
The approach of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament is to leave the definition to the discretion of Member States but to base it on farming activity. The Committee also proposes optional exclusions for non-agricultural businesses or enterprises.
My own view is that the most sensible approach is to base the definition on farming activity and to allow Member States the flexibility to exclude the so-called “sofa-farmers” while ensuring that those farming low productivity marginal land remain eligible for payment.
The position of the Council is clear at this point. As Presidency, it will be my job to navigate a course through the diverging positions between the EU Commission, Member States and the European Parliament in order to settle on a compromise acceptable to all.
