CAP budget options are ‘not acceptable’

THE Chair of Wicklow ICMSA has described the options set out for the CAP budget as ‘disappointing’ and ‘completely unacceptable.’

Following on from the statement from the EU Commission on their multi-annual financial priorities post 2020, Shane O’Loughlin said the priorities as outlined would have to be strongly resisted by our Government and like-minded member states.

He felt it was particularly disappointing was that there was no sign that the Commission understood that CAP is a key EU policy not only for farmers, but for wider rural economies and how they interact with their national economies.

He said: ‘ There’s no room for equivocation. Any proposal to cut the existing CAP budget would be a disaster for farmers, the rural communities that de- pend on farming, and the wider agri-food sector which is a key driver of the Irish economy. Based on proposed reforms of CAP, it appears that the EU Commission wants farmers to do more in terms of regulatory requirements with a reduced budget. This simply will not work and cannot be accepted under any circumstances by our Government.’

The Wicklow ICMSA Chairman and Aughrim farmer maintains that it is imperative that the Taoiseach uses the opportunity presented by the informal leaders’ meeting to very clearly set out a position that any reduction on the current CAP Budget will be unacceptable and that remaining member states must make good any deficit resulting from Brexit, with this instilled as a guiding principle in the 2020 MFF negotiations.