Ierse landbouwminister focust op belangrijkste politieke onderwerpen in onderhandelingen over landbouwbeleid (en)

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, will bring Member States up to date on the progress of CAP reform trilogues with the European Parliament and the Commission at the fifth meeting of the Agri/Fish Council on Monday 13 May, in Brussels.

Council meeting chair Minister Coveney will also consult his colleagues on Monday on where they feel there may be potential for compromise on a number of political issues regarding CAP reform that have been the subject of preliminary discussion at trilogue level. These include the proposed young farmers’ scheme and the small farmers’ scheme, as well as the proposed definition of an ‘active farmer’. This will be an important first step towards the achievement of an overall political agreement by the end of June.

Minister Coveney - I do not intend to seek a change to the Council’s negotiating mandate, but rather to establish the extent of any potential room for manoeuvre on these points as we try to reconcile the differing positions of the three institutions.”

Minister Coveney commented:

“I intend to facilitate this process by having a discussion with my Member State colleagues next week about the Council’s position on the young farmers’ scheme, the small farmers’ scheme and the definition of ‘active farmer’. I do not intend to seek a change to the Council’s negotiating mandate, but rather to establish the extent of any potential room for manoeuvre on these points as we try to reconcile the differing positions of the three institutions.”

A total of twelve trilogues has taken place across the four CAP reform dossiers since April 11. Four have dealt with the single common market organisation (CMO), three each have covered direct payments and rural development issues, and a further two have discussed the so-called “horizontal” regulation, which deals with financing and monitoring of the CAP.

The other agriculture items on next week’s agenda will address the EU’s position with regard to certain resolutions to be voted in the framework of the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV) and, under any other business, an item on the Tobacco Directive.

ENDS