Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
1269. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the European Commission proposal that convergence will continue in the next CAP with all entitlements reaching at least 75% of the national average by 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16920/21]
View answerThe new legislative proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy 2021-2027 involve significant changes, including the end of the Basic Payment Scheme and the start of the new Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS). Trilogue negotiations between the three institutions, which are aimed at reaching a final shared agreement on the shape of the new CAP, commenced at the end of 2020. I am hopeful that these will conclude by June 2021.
Under the proposed BISS, there is a mandatory requirement for Member States to ensure that, by 2026, all payment values reach a minimum convergence level of 75% for all payment entitlements. The European Parliament has proposed a convergence level of 100%. It is proposed that the funding mechanism will be similar to the current system, whereby payment entitlements with values above the average are reduced to fund the convergence.
This proposal builds on the convergence path of the 2015-2020 CAP regulations, under which all entitlements had to reach a minimum value of 60% of the national average by 2019.
My Department is analysing the effects of all of the proposed changes, including changes to convergence, and is engaged on an ongoing basis with European colleagues as well as farm organisations here. This close engagement and detailed analysis of the impact of the proposals on farmers in Ireland will continue until the regulations are fully developed and will, in due course, inform the decision-making process on the implementation of new CAP regulations in Ireland.
