IFA president Francie Gorman has called on MEPs not be fooled by the European Commission’s 'tweaks' to its own plans to abolish the standalone CAP budget - while slashing the ringfenced EU funds for farmers by 20%.
Gorman spoke after the commission outlined very limited concessions to the European Parliament’s president Roberta Metsolla in a bid to curb the threat MEPs could pose to a radical overhaul of the next long-term EU budget.
“The move itself is an acknowledgement that their original proposals are not fit for purpose,” he said.
“But what’s on the table here is pure semantics by the commission, an attempt simply to appease the European Parliament to avoid an early rejection of their July proposals.
“And I hope, given what’s on the pitch here, that they won’t simply roll over and bow to the commission or we have a bigger problem ahead.”
The 2028-2034 budget proposals unveiled in July would axe the CAP’s dedicated budget and merge farmers’ funds into a larger funding pot that also caters for spending on non-farming areas.
'Smoke and mirrors'
Earlier this week, the umbrella group for EU farming organisations of which the IFA is a member, accused the commission of using 'smoke and mirrors' in a bid to lull MEPs into accepting the CAP cuts.
“Let’s be clear, and we need our MEPs to be under no illusions about it either, these tweaks don’t even scratch the surface of what’s needed,” the IFA leader stated.
Gorman said that the proposals "do nothing" for food security, financial certainty or for simplifying the design of the next CAP either.
The IFA has called on MEPs to “land a clear message” that the ringfenced CAP funds, rather than being abolished, must be increased.
“There is no point saying, ‘it’s only a starting point to negotiations', and often what ends up being the position is far removed from where we are today when we aren’t even on the runway for where we need to get to.”
Read more
Watch: 20% CAP cut a 'decent' place to start but not to end – Minister Heydon
Commission tries to spin CAP cuts as a farming win
IFA president Francie Gorman has called on MEPs not be fooled by the European Commission’s 'tweaks' to its own plans to abolish the standalone CAP budget - while slashing the ringfenced EU funds for farmers by 20%.
Gorman spoke after the commission outlined very limited concessions to the European Parliament’s president Roberta Metsolla in a bid to curb the threat MEPs could pose to a radical overhaul of the next long-term EU budget.
“The move itself is an acknowledgement that their original proposals are not fit for purpose,” he said.
“But what’s on the table here is pure semantics by the commission, an attempt simply to appease the European Parliament to avoid an early rejection of their July proposals.
“And I hope, given what’s on the pitch here, that they won’t simply roll over and bow to the commission or we have a bigger problem ahead.”
The 2028-2034 budget proposals unveiled in July would axe the CAP’s dedicated budget and merge farmers’ funds into a larger funding pot that also caters for spending on non-farming areas.
'Smoke and mirrors'
Earlier this week, the umbrella group for EU farming organisations of which the IFA is a member, accused the commission of using 'smoke and mirrors' in a bid to lull MEPs into accepting the CAP cuts.
“Let’s be clear, and we need our MEPs to be under no illusions about it either, these tweaks don’t even scratch the surface of what’s needed,” the IFA leader stated.
Gorman said that the proposals "do nothing" for food security, financial certainty or for simplifying the design of the next CAP either.
The IFA has called on MEPs to “land a clear message” that the ringfenced CAP funds, rather than being abolished, must be increased.
“There is no point saying, ‘it’s only a starting point to negotiations', and often what ends up being the position is far removed from where we are today when we aren’t even on the runway for where we need to get to.”
Read more
Watch: 20% CAP cut a 'decent' place to start but not to end – Minister Heydon
Commission tries to spin CAP cuts as a farming win
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