The representative body that represents EU landowners has said that plans to target CAP funds to those who the European Commission deems “most in need” has left its members “terrified” as the group is making the case for funds to be distributed based on those “who deserve it the most”.

The European Landowners' Organization (ELO) secretary general Jurgen Tack spoke in Dublin at an event organised by the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, which is one of forum’s the founders.

European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen’s plans to shake up the distribution of CAP payments by scrapping entitlement-based direct payments and upping funding levels for groups like small farmers, young farmers, female farmers and those in areas of natural constraints have unsettled the landowners Tack represents.

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“For this I wanted to say they are all private landowners with a focus to bring their land to the next generation in at least the same quality as the way they got their land from their parents or the way they bought their land,” the secretary general said at the RDS on Tuesday.

“That means that with 80% of our members having farming activity we have big interest in the CAP and the negotiations for the next CAP.

“That resulted in a small conflict with the Commissioner because he is focusing very much on redistributing the CAP system to those who need it the most.

“I say from within the organisation from the very beginning that we have been terrified of that. We told the Commissioner the money should go to those who deserve it the most.

“If I had at home solar panels, for everyone it would be very logical that any subsidies are linked to the energy I am generating. It should be the same for farming subsidies.”

The ELO chief told attendees that there are 68 member organisations of his group that represent a combined 2.8m EU landowners.

Its website states that its aim is to promote a “prosperous countryside through private property dynamism represents 67 members”.