Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 November 2019
169. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if CAP transition measures (details supplied) proposed by the European Commission would result in cuts to direct payments in October 2020 and cuts in farm schemes under pillar 2 to farmers here; and the process involved for the decision to become final. [45862/19]
View answerOn 31 October, the Commission presented two proposals to provide for transitional regulations to bridge the period between the current CAP programming period (2014-2020) and the CAP post-2020 (2021-2027). Such transitional measures are normal between programming periods where a gap arises due to a delay finalising the new EU Budget and CAP regulations.
The proposals provide for a one-year transition period in 2021. Funding arrangements for transition are based on the Commission’s proposals for the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework. My officials are currently examining the proposals, which will be discussed in Brussels in the coming months and are to be agreed with the European Parliament.
It is important to note that the existing rules and financial arrangements for CAP, including the EU Budget allocations for the period 2014-2020, will apply for 2020, as set out in the relevant CAP regulations for both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2.
My key priority remains to continue to press for agreement on the CAP reform proposals and on the maintenance of the CAP budget as part of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework.
Since the launch of the proposals on the Multiannual Financial Framework, I have worked closely with other Agriculture Ministers to seek to maintain the level of CAP funding for the EU 27 and to reverse the cuts. From the start of this process, I joined with my colleagues in Madrid in May 2018 and together with France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Finland signed a Memorandum to call for the maintenance of the CAP budget. Work on this initiative has continued and, most recently, at the October Agrifish Council, I again joined with my colleagues across Europe when 17 Member States joined a declaration seeking to maintain CAP funding in the period post-2020. I will continue to work with my colleagues to fight for a strong CAP budget.
