Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 November 2013
201. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average decrease in single farm payments in 2013 as a result of changes to the multiannual financial framework; when the Commission published its amending letter to the draft 2014 Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47545/13]
View answerAs a result of changes in the EU multi-annual financial framework it is necessary that payments in respect of the 2013 Single Payment Scheme be reduced in order to ensure that the overall EU budget ceiling is respected. The original proposal from the Commission was to apply a deduction of 4.001079% on all payments in excess of €2,000. However, following the publication of Amending Letter 2 under the 2014 EU Budgetary procedure, the percentage reduction to be applied was reduced to 2.453658% on all payments in excess of €2,000.
While agreement in principle has been reached on the reduced deduction, the matter has yet to be formally adopted by the EU Council of Ministers. It is expected that it will be adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council at its meeting of 18th November 2013.
