There is no sign of member states rejecting the European Commission’s plans to abolish the current entitlement-based system of direct payments, as Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said this week that he hopes to have member states aligned on future farm payments over the coming weeks.

Minister Heydon suggested that he will attempt to have a partial general approach to the 2028-2034 CAP signed off by agriculture ministers before Ireland ends its term as president of the Council of the EU, as he gave the end of October as a target for agreement.

This partial approach would address key details of the schemes that could be funded in the next CAP while leaving aside the looming budget question that heads of state are wrangling with.

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The minister has been coy on which way member states are leaning as they agree the common position they will take in CAP talks with the European Parliament and the Commission. A rough outline of member states’ position was drafted before Cyprus ended its stint with the presidency of the Council of the EU in June and this document made no provision for the continuation of the current entitlements-based direct payments beyond 2027.

This June draft indicates that member states had backed the Commission’s plans to replace BISS and CRISS with a flat payment rate averaging between €130/ha to €240/ha, with a requirement to top this for young farmers.

Arduous task

It states further that each member state may decide whether it wants to set higher per hectare payment rates to other groups of farmers with “additional income needs” as proven by their “agricultural income over a representative reference period”.

The arduous task of hammering out an even broader agreement on the next EU budget that will fund much of the CAP hit another roadblock just two weeks ago as Germany spearheaded a push to slash hundreds of billions off the Commission’s plans for the next seven-year budget along with five other net contributor member states.