European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Deveopment Phil Hogan does not accept the findings of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) on his proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy, 2020-2027.

EU auditors found that the rules of the CAP should be stricter than currently proposed so as to improve agriculture’s environmental record.

The court also took issue with direct payments to farmers being the largest part of the budget and says this isn’t appropriate for either addressing environmental concerns nor is it the most efficient way of supporting viable income.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal in Brussels, the commissioner said: “Their report and conclusions appear to suggest that, in a number of areas, the court has misunderstood certain aspects of the Commission’s proposal.”

Direct payments

Hogan drew attention to the court’s conclusion regarding the link between direct payments and support for viable farm income which, he said, “is surprising, given the extent to which hundreds of thousands of farmers rely on them as essential income support’’.

He said: ‘‘Farm families across Europe understand this link clearly. And this link was reflected in the CAP’s impact assessment.’’