On 14th of February 2018, the Commission published its Communication on a Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) for the European Union post-2020. The Department of Finance is the lead department on the negotiation of the MFF.
The communication indicates that the Commission will publish MFF proposals by early May 2018 at the latest. Recognising the loss of UK budgetary contributions post 2020, and an expanded range of expenditure priorities, it calls for a budget of sufficient size, supported by a revision of the revenue side.
For illustrative purposes, the communication outlines a range of options, some of which involve expenditure cuts, across all major policy areas, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The document makes it clear that these are not proposals, but rather are intended to stimulate an open debate.
Any increase in overall expenditure will require additional contributions from Member States. Not all Member States may be willing to make such contributions. From Ireland's perspective, the Taoiseach, in his address to the European Parliament in January 2018, has already indicated that Ireland is open to contributing more to the EU budget, but only if it is spent on policies that contribute to the advancement of the European ideal. The CAP is such a policy, and at the Council of Agriculture Ministers I have repeatedly personally called for the strongest budget possible for CAP post 2020.
