On CAP direct payments

Across Europe there is a growing narrative about “taking the control back from Brussels”. This was a key theme of the Brexit camp before the referendum and also emerged in France and the Netherlands before the recent elections.

This may mean that it is time for the CAP to become less Common and more devolved, to give more decision-making around agricultural policy to Member State governments.

Hogan was clear that we must be cognisant of the views around Europe and take every opportunity to remind citizens of the virtues of CAP.

Finally, when asked about the long-term future of the direct payment scheme, Hogan was clear that the CAP had evolved to provide people with other vital public goods beyond food – the policy also promotes clean water and air, a well-managed countryside with good living conditions, high animal welfare standards and the maintenance of our biodiversity for future generations. Justifying the future budget of the CAP will involve the promotion of all of these aspects of farming, he said.

The future of the direct payments it seems will be linked to the provision of a wide range of public goods rather than just food production.

The last CAP reform introduced the concept of greening into the first pillar. Greening, it appears was unsuccessful from all perspectives. Environmentalists felt it only paid lip service to their concerns, while tillage farmers criticised its complexity. Indeed the three crop rule, which was part of Greening, featured as a major anti-EU argument by farmers in the UK before the Brexit referendum.

The importance of direct payments to Irish agriculture is clear.

Their continued sustainability will depend on the Commissioner’s ability to persuade tax-payers, consumers and other public servants about the value for money delivered, while balancing the concerns of environmentalists and the needs of farmers.