Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen has been the sole MEP to state that some form of an entitlements-based direct payment model should be carried into the 2028-2034 CAP as the European Commission’s plans for full payment flattening are gathering support among Ireland’s MEPs.

“I would support retaining the option of entitlement-based payments where needed and in particular, provision has to be made for farmers in long-term lease arrangements and those who recently invested in entitlements, so that they’re not penalised for decisions made under the current system,” Cowen told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Member states that are on course to reach full convergence under CAP should be allowed to carry on their current trajectory, the MEP said.

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Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland south Kathleen Funchion has welcomed the push to equalise area-based payment rates, as has Independent Ireland MEP Ciarán Mullooly.

Independent MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan has indicated support for this area of the current CAP reform, stating that “the end of entitlements is a good thing” as “payments based on agricultural activity from 25 years ago are not a good basis on which to go forward.”

Fine Gael MEPs Maria Walsh and Seán Kelly have indicated support for a redistribution of CAP payments in the ongoing round of reform.

Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry has been vague on the future of entitlements, saying that “we need to think things through carefully” on area-based payments but stopped short of outlining support or opposition to the scrapping of entitlements.