Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine Michael Creed has welcomed the support of the German Ministry for Agriculture for the maintenance of the CAP budget.
Creed was in Brussels at the start of this week at a Council of Agriculture Ministers where he “warmly welcomed” his German counterpart’s intervention in the debate surrounding the proposed Budget for CAP post-2020.
“I have been working with Ministerial colleagues for months now across the EU in an attempt to build consensus amongst Member States for the importance of securing the CAP budget,” Minister Creed said.
“Having met with the German State Secretary for Food & Agriculture, Dr Hermann Aeikens, this morning I’m extremely pleased to note that the position of the German Ministry is now, that they refuse the proposal to cut the CAP Budget.”
Striking The Right Balance
The German position is outlined in a joint statement prepared by Germany and France and further builds on the Madrid declaration, as supported by 20 EU Member States, all calling for the protection of the CAP budget.
The Council of Ministers discussed the post CAP 2020 proposals in more detail, specifically in the areas of subsidiarity and simplification, which was also welcomed by Minister Creed.
“Striking the right balance is difficult, especially for key policy that is common across the European Union, and also because of the complex nature of the CAP. In the main, Ireland considers that the Commission has struck a reasonable balance,” he said.
“I have previously referred to the definition of the ‘genuine farmer’. I fear that the definition proposed, and the prospect of income tests or an assessment of Labour inputs on farm, will lead to significant operational difficulties and further complication, rather than simplification.”
Creed has called for the Commission to have an open mind in terms of making financial support available to drought-affected countries referencing the difficulties faced in Ireland in recent weeks.
At home, Michael Creed recently launched the Food Safety and Food Authenticity Strategy, saying that there can be “no compromise” on food safety and the integrity of the food chain.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
