Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
1188. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether CAP reforms must not adversely impact production capability of Irish farms and that Irish farms must not be restricted by enhanced conditionality or additional cross-compliance measures. [30897/21]
View answerThe new CAP regulations are still being negotiated between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council. A number of technical details concerning the Good Agriculture and Environmental Condition (GAEC) standards have still to be finalised.
I recognise the challenges of implementing the requirements with regard to conditionality of the new CAP while ensuring that measures are compatable with the reality and needs of Irish farming and the farming community. I have established a CAP Consulatative Committee, made up of various stakeholders, including the farm bodies, who will inform the process of establishing the best fit of conditionality requirements to meet the needs of Irish Agriculture.
Ireland's 2030 Agri-Food Strategy has been developed using a ‘food systems approach’, which takes account of the links between policies for food, climate and environment, and health, as well as the role of all players in the food value chain in realising this ambition. My aim is to optimise economic productivity while ensuring that Agriculture contributes to our overall environmental ambitions.
