Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is rarely out of the spotlight. The process of reforming it has, yet again, begun in earnest with the target of having the new policy in place by 2013.

There are many different opinions on what shape the CAP should take post-2013. The debate takes place against an income crisis in farming, concerns about food security, climate change, water management issues and biodiversity loss. We want the CAP to do so many different things and farmers need and demand policy certainty for the future.

The greatest challenge is how the policy will be funded post-2013. Agriculture spending is a large chunk of the EU Budget and there are many who want a share of that budget for other policy areas.

Already there are loud noises saying that agriculture gets too much money, that it should receive a smaller share of the budget post-2013. But there are also realistic voices reflecting the realities of the CAP and the major part it plays in ensuring food security, environmental protection and rural development.

Attempts to cut the budget will intensify, but so too will the pressure to hold onto the current budget. It is a battle which will be important for Ireland to win, given the significant amounts of money which are transferred from the CAP to Irish farmers.

European Parliament and the CAP

The European Parliament adopted a report on the future of the CAP by MEP, George Lyon in July 2010. This report is the first statement of the Parliament on CAP reform.

• The report reaffirms that there will be a CAP post-2013, that it should remain a common policy and that its budget should be at least maintained at current levels;
• The CAP should remain an EU policy, rejecting attempts to re-nationalise it;
• The CAP should support active producers and reward them for the food they produce and the many public goods they provide to society – including high animal welfare and environmental standards;
• Market support measures will be essential in providing adequate safety nets against extreme market volatility which is likely to be a feature of the market in the future.

Click HERE to view a copy of the Parliament’s position on the future of the CAP:

The EU Commission will take the Parliament’s views into account when it brings forward its proposal on the CAP post-2013 on the 17th November 2010.

I believe that the CAP post-2013 must continue to support active producers and reward them for the food they produce and the many public goods they provide to society – including high animal welfare and environmental standards. Market support measures will be essential in providing adequate safety nets against extreme market volatility which is likely to be a feature of the market in the future.

Only seven per cent of the EU’s farmers are under 35 years of age – this is a stark reminder that we need to ensure that the conditions exist to keep young people farming. It is essential that there should be a strong focus on young generations in the CAP post-2013 so to provide for the development of agriculture in an innovative and efficient way.