Vol. 567 No. 5
421 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the role his Department is playing in ensuring that supports for rural development through the Common Agricultural Policy are not only being continued but also potentially increased in relation to the mid-term review of CAP at EU level. [14523/03]
Negotiations on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food. He agrees with the broad thrust of the Commission's proposals under the mid-term review of Agenda 2000, in so far as rural development is concerned, which is to extend the range of on-farm rural development measures to promote food quality, meet higher standards and foster animal welfare. However, the Commission is also proposing to introduce a system of modulation which would reduce direct payments to farmers receiving over €5,000 a year to provide additional funds for such rural development. There is an intrinsic contradiction in this proposal to reduce farmers' incomes which will be damaging the economies of rural areas to provide funds for certain rural development measures. My colleague has made his overall opposition to the proposals clear in the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers and his objective in the negotiations is to preserve the benefits to Irish agriculture and to rural communities achieved under the Agenda 2000 agreement.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food continues to keep me apprised of the progress of the negotiations. As I have indicated, rural development in the context of the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy is farm-related and not wider rural development as is generally understood here.
In relation to the rural development programmes for which I have responsibility, principally Leader, the outcome of the Common Agricultural Policy negotiations will not affect existing financial commitments under the national development plan. However, my Department will be working closely with the Department of Agriculture and Food in the coming period to ensure that coherent rural development policies are pursued so that the effects of any changes in farm related policies do not impact negatively on rural development generally.
The mid-term review of the national development plan being carried out currently will also assist in terms of assessing the effectiveness of expenditure in this area.
