The EU Commission is set to unveil its first ever EU livestock strategy at the beginning of July. The Irish Farmers Journal obtained a leaked version of the draft report which details the European plan for livestock for the duration of the next CAP and beyond.

Livestock plays a central role in Europe’s agricultural system. The European livestock sector generates €400 billion in turnover annually, across four million farms, employing over seven million people.

The report highlights a number of issues, including reducing livestock numbers. France has seen a 16% decline in its bovine population in the last decade, while Germany has seen a 22% decline in its pig population during the same period.

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Profitability is also highlighted as a major issue, with the report pointing to income stabilisation tools being used to stabilise the sector.

While the report is still lacking detail, it is an important document being published at a critical time ahead of the construction of the next CAP. The report references the IPCC methane measurement mechanism as not capturing the intricacies of diverse production systems. It also references biogenic methane and the fact that it should be recognised as part of a short-term carbon cycle. This could open the door for a measurement system similar to the one which New Zealand has adopted, and would be a major shift in policy for the EU.

It would be the first time the EU has recognised that biogenic methane emissions should be measured differently. The Irish Government should double-down on this opportunity.

Irish EU Presidency

The unveiling of the livestock strategy will also coincide with Ireland taking over the EU presidency for the six months from 1 July to 31 December 2026. It’s a huge moment for Ireland where we take centre stage in Europe at a critical time.

The presidency only comes about every 14 years, and while Ireland will in effect take the role of independent chair for the next six months, Irish farmers will be looking for our Government to use the position to influence the best possible outcome for Irish farmers in the next CAP.

The Irish presidency has three key themes. Competitiveness is the first theme and within this, fostering prosperity and wellbeing within the union.

This is followed by values and upholding what is described as the indispensable foundation of the union. The last theme is security and protecting the citizens of Europe.

The Irish Government has said that its priorities for the presidency will include paying particular attention to the issues of food security, competitiveness, simplification, sustainability, and generational renewal.

For Irish farmers, the Irish presidency will be all about getting agreement on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

This agreement of the budget is the fundamental precursor to the next CAP, and while getting agreement on this budget before the end of the year is ambitious, it is something that Ireland should see as a priority.

At the moment, the overall CAP budget has been reduced to facilitate greater spending on security within Europe in the face of a continued war on Europe’s eastern border arising from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Food production is key to this defence, and a well-financed CAP should be seen as central to Europe’s defence policy in the future.

Brussels

Having been in Brussels this week along with an Irish Farmers’ Association delegation, meeting a number of people central to policy within the European Commission and Parliament, I remain confident that Europe holds agriculture as a central pillar in terms of importance.

I was also impressed with Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, the Hungarian Commissioner at DG Sante, which is responsible for the health and animal welfare stance on Brazilian beef, and his reassurance that a ban on Brazilian beef would be in place from 3 September.

The IFA’s footprint along with ICOS in Brussels is an important one, with the Irish view being a particularly important one in Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella organisation for all farm organisations across Europe.

Maintaining an Irish lobbying voice in the corridors of power in Europe is very important, and will be even more critical in the next 12-18 months as huge decisions will be made around the makeup of the next CAP.