Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021
565. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way forestry has been discussed or considered during recent CAP negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35813/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, at the June Agri-Fish Council, Agriculture Ministers accepted the provisional deal agreed between the Council Presidency and the European Parliament on 25th June.
The new CAP Regulations aim to increase the environmental and climate ambition of Member States. This provides opportunities to support tree planting and farm forestry, as part of a sustainable farming model, and such options are being explored. Forestry is critical to the overall agriculture eco-system. Forestry can provide a complementary and supplementary activity to other schemes being implemented on farms, and officials are examining how to ensure that there is integration between the CAP Strategic Plan and the next Forestry Programme.
The current Forestry Programme 2014-2020 (extended to end 2022) is entirely exchequer-funded and received State Aid approval from the European Commission. Due to the long-term nature of forestry, the best option to continue to deliver the forestry programme is to do so entirely separately from the CAP Strategic Plan, subject to new State Aid rules rather than the requirements of the CAP Strategic Plan Regulations.
Various stakeholder organisations, representing a variety of interest groups, have representation on both the CAP post-2020 Consultative Committee and the Forestry Policy Group to further enhance coherence between both policy areas. These include:
- Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
- Agricultural Consultants Association
- Teagasc
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Environmental Pillar
- An Taisce
- Bird Watch Ireland
- Irish Rural Link
There is regular engagement between the Department and the Forestry Sector through the Forestry Policy Group, the newly established Project Woodland, and the various COFORD working groups. This engagement will continue as the CAP Strategic Plan is developed over the coming months.
