When it comes to generational renewal in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, the Midlands North West MEP, has said the idea that it will be left in the control of the Department of Agriculture “terrifies” him.

Speaking at the recent launch of the CAP 2020 proposals from the European Commission in Dublin, Flanagan said he is now a Department of Agriculture sceptic.

“I got elected as a Euro-sceptic. I have to say a little bit of that has been beat out of me from sitting on the [European Parliament’s] agricultural committee. I’m now a Department of Agriculture in Ireland sceptic.

“The idea that [generational renewal] will be left in the control of the Department of Agriculture terrifies me, because I was the only Irish person at the Omnibus proposal, the mid-term review of the CAP.

“At that there was a proposal that people on the young farmers top-up, even if they were three years on the farm, would be able to get the full five years.

“And there was a request from a country that that would be changed from shall get that payment, to may get that payment.

“There was only one country that put in that request and that was Ireland. Ireland requested that there would be a get-out in paying the young farmer that money for the full five years,” he said.

Flanagan said that if that is the sort of philosophy that is there in the Department, he is “terrified” that they would get more control.

“It is embarrassing that I have to say that because we should trust our own people, but the reality is that when they had a bit of control they screwed the young farmer,” he said.

Overall proposals

On the overall proposals on the CAP, Flanagan said he was “very disappointed”.

“I am hearing the headline that the new CAP proposals are going to help the small farmer, they are going to help the family farm and that there will be redistribution.

“Well looking at this thing of the €100,000 cap and the €60,000…there isn’t going to be an awful lot to redistribute,” he said.

The Midlands North West MEP said he cannot see the current proposal on the table from the Commission going through in the way it is proposed, “because the parliament will fight this”.

Read more

CAP cuts: direct payment fund hit

Creed to consult with farm organisations on Ireland's CAP plan

Can Creed make CAP fit everyone?