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The summary of the public consultation, which took place before 9am Irish time on Friday morning, was part of The CAP: Have You Say conference.
The public consultation survey was sent out to citizens in each member state and consisted of 33 questions about CAP and its performance. The aim of the survey was to get public feedback of how CAP was doing and where it could improve.
Biggest Drawbacks of CAP
When asked about CAP’s biggest drawbacks, the study found that greening was deemed far too complex and this was considered a “burden” and a “concern” for farmers.
As greening represents 30% of pillar 1, this would be considered worrying for the EU.
Behind greening, the public consultation outlined the extensive paperwork as a second greatest downside for farmers. Applications for subsidies and grants involved too much administration, “change too often and are difficult to fill in”.
A study by the ESRI in June found Government regulation to be the No 1 cause for stress in Ireland.
The survey provided a detailed outline of where farmers believed CAP could improve, with farmer income support and the better environmental policies dominating.
Feedback for improving CAP was also outlined, with emphasis on increased sustainability, increased motivational payments and less bureaucracy.
The report is set to be made available online by 1pm Friday.
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