There must be a focus on food security and price stability in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

They are two things we take for granted at the moment, he told the ICMSA AGM on Friday.

“Ireland was one of the leading EU member states in the last round of negotiations to advocate protecting the CAP budget in the wake of Brexit and the hole created in the EU’s budget.

“The European Commission is already working on proposals for a new CAP after 2027. As in the reform of 2013, an Irish EU presidency will be in the driving seat in the second half of 2026.

"We need to make sure that we are represented by politicians who are pro-Europe and have the experience and credentials needed for success,” he said.

Environment

An Taoiseach said that while it is not possible to know what a new CAP will look like after 2027, we can be absolutely certain that there will be a focus on climate and the environment.

“There must also be a focus on food security and price stability. They are two things we take for granted at the moment.

“Europe has some of the highest production standards in the world and we need a competitive European agriculture sector into the future if we are to maintain our position as a leading producer of safe, sustainable food,” he said.

Ireland will again argue for a well-funded CAP to protect farm incomes and the family farm, he added.