Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2017
380. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific Council of EU Agriculture Ministers meetings at which he made the case that CAP funding levels must be maintained post Brexit; the date of every such meeting at which this was raised, in tabular from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9448/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDiscussions on the future of the CAP post-2020 are just commencing within Council. The size and distribution of the future CAP budget will be determined as part of the process for agreeing the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the post-2020 period, discussions on which are not expected to commence until early 2018.
Given the significant contribution the UK makes to the EU budget, its departure from the EU will have implications for future spending decisions in what is already a very tight budgetary framework. The CAP accounts for some 37% of the EU budget, and there has been ongoing pressure from some Member States to reduce this proportion and to divert EU spending to other policy areas such as migration and security.
It is vitally important that a strong CAP budget is maintained for the future of farming in Ireland and Europe. This is something that I will be actively pursuing at Council level as discussions on CAP funding levels commence over the coming months.
