Protests over CAP overhaul to get underway today
A number of protests will get underway in Dublin and across Europe today (Tuesday, May 20) in relation to proposals to streamline the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) into a single fund.
Launched in 1962, the EU's CAP is a partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers.
It aims to:
Support farmers and improve agricultural productivity, ensuring a stable supply of affordable food;
Safeguard European Union farmers to make a reasonable living;
Help tackle climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources;
Maintain rural areas and landscapes across the EU;
Keep the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-food industries and associated sectors.
The CAP is a common policy for all EU countries and is managed and funded at European level from the resources of the EU's budget.
The European Commission is understood to be planning a radical overhaul to the EU budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – as part of which the commission is planning to merge its various funding programmes into a smaller number of funds, which would be allocated all together to member states.
Member states would then outline how they plan to use the funding, which the commission would then approve.
This could not only see the merging of funding for both pillars of CAP, but potentially also the end of ringfenced funding for CAP.
Today, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) alongside the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) will stage a 'flash protest' at the European Commission offices in Dublin city.
The IFA said it wants to 'warn the commission against stripping away the CAP budget in favour of a single fund approach'.
The Dublin protest will coincide with other protests being organised across Europe by other farm organisations.
Copa Cogeca, the umbrella organisation representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives, confirmed that the 'pan-European flash action' will take place in Brussels.
The organisation said it will support the protest which is being organised by Belgian national farmers' organisations, FWA/UAW and BoerenBond.
The demonstration coincides with the Annual EU Budget Conference 2025 where the next long-term union budget will be discussed.
Agriland will bring you all the latest from the protest which gets underway at 9.30a.m Dublin today.
CAP
Meanwhile, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has called for the upcoming CAP programme to ensure the family farm model is protected while delivering fair and achievable outcomes for its farmers.
INHFA president Vincent Roddy has outlined the importance of CAP support, especially for suckler, beef and sheep farmers where income volatility and low margins have seen a continued decline in livestock numbers and farmers.
Roddy stressed: 'It is vital there is a ring-fenced CAP budget that recognises the critical role of our farmers in terms of food production, landscape management and supporting our rural communities.
'Any new CAP programme must promote sustainable agricultural practices that are carried out on our extensive grazing model that benefits both production and the environment.'
He also added that the new CAP needs to ensure farming is more attractive for the next generation.
'The [CAP] budget must recognise the increased demands that have been made on farmers and also, restrictions that continue to reduce output and income,' Roddy continued.
The INHFA president stressed the need to continue with the convergence of payments while also increasing payments on the first 30ha through a more ambitious Complementary Redistribution of Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) model.
'This will help protect the smaller holdings dominated by suckler and sheep farmers and the wider rural communities that are so dependent on these sectors,' he explained.
With regard to proposals around conditionality, the INHFA has said that the terms and conditions must include a satisfactory yellow card system that gives farmers a chance to address any breach of the conditions.
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