An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stressed the need for urgent financial support for farmers under the provisions of the CAP at Thursday’s meeting of the European Council.

The meeting, held by video conference, discussed the immediate crisis and charted a path towards economic and social recovery.

Leaders also discussed the urgent need for a recovery fund commensurate to the scale of the challenge. The Commission was asked to undertake further detailed work on this, including on how it might be linked to the EU’s budget, the multi-annual financial framework (MFF).

Ambitious

In his contribution, the Taoiseach joined those calling for a swift and ambitious EU response.

He welcomed the Commission’s intention to undertake a sector-by-sector analysis, and highlighted acute difficulties in agriculture resulting from a collapse in exports and prices.

He stressed the need for urgent financial support for farmers under the provisions of the CAP.

He also called for a plan to be developed to ensure EU states have public health controls at airports before business and tourist travel resumes and so that it can.

Further support

IFA president Tim Cullinan said that it was important that the Taoiseach raised the need for further EU support at the Council meeting.

“The package announced by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture is a long way short of what’s needed, given the major collapse in exports and prices that agricultural markets have taken.

“Our Government needs to increase the pressure at EU level for a much more substantial financial package, including direct payment aid,” he said.

Own resources

“Additionally, the Government must also look at its own resources to help beef farmers. State aid limits have been increased which would allow our Government to step in and help beef finishers in particular, who are being wiped out financially at current prices,” he said.

Cullinan said the IFA has put detailed proposals to Minister Creed and the Department of Agriculture to immediately introduce a direct payment aid scheme for beef finishers, utilising unused funds from last year’s BEAM scheme.

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