Brian Stanley
Question:72. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his position on what the upper limit for basic payments should be under the Common Agricultural Policy. [41602/19]
View answerTuesday, 15 October 2019
Questions (72)
Written answers
The new legislative proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy 2021 - 2027 were launched in June 2018 by Commissioner Hogan. The proposals, as drafted, involve significant changes, including in relation to governance, the distribution of direct payments among farmers and the increasing environmental conditionality attaching to such payments. There will be some additional discretion for Member States in configuring the measures available, within parameters laid down in the draft proposals.
I have previously indicated that I am open to considering some level of capping of payments. Ireland has already applied the maximum level of degressivity allowable under the current regulations for payments over €150,000.
The new proposals include a number of measures which concern redistribution of direct payments, including:
- an overall mandatory cap of €100,000,
- progressive reduction of payments above €60,000,
- a complementary redistributive income support, and
- the convergence of payments towards a minimum of 75% of the average payment per hectare nationally.
My Department is at present examining these proposals carefully to assess their potential impact on applicants. There are a number of elements involved, and it will be necessary to consider all of these, as well as the way they interact.
Initial modelling indicates that capping is unlikely to release a substantial amount of funding for reallocation. Furthermore, it is important that any such mechanisms are straightforward for Member States to administer so that they can be implemented without undue complexity for the individual farmer.
Negotiations on the draft proposals are continuing at EU level. While significant progress has been made to date, decisions on key issues have yet to be agreed. I will continue to work with the Commission and other Member States to shape these proposals into an effective new CAP for the period post-2020.