The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) will stage a protest at the Department of Agriculture Offices in Dublin this morning as talks on CAP reform proposals resume in Luxembourg.
The IFA argues that a mandatory minimum payment would lead to a level of redistribution that would be hugely damaging for the Irish agri-market.
The EU Council of Agriculture Ministers, the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, and the European Commission will attend the talks in Luxembourg. It is hoped a deal on the new CAP proposals can reached by the end of June.
The CAP reform is the only item on the agenda of the final meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers under the Irish Presidency, chaired by Irish Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney. The Minister hopes to secure agreement on the remaining outstanding issues with his Member State counterparts.
Farmers protest in central Dublin
Minister Coveney said "Decision time has arrived. At the outset of the Irish Presidency I set out my stall very clearly with an ambitious programme that I hoped would lead to an overall political agreement on CAP reform by the end of June. With the commitment and support of Member States, the European Parliament and the Commission, we have been able to keep to that schedule".
The Minister explained that the meeting in Luxembourg will essentially be comprised of a number of elements. Firstly, the Council of Ministers will meet to discuss and affirm the progress made to date, and to identify potential compromises on the outstanding issues that remain to be resolved.
Hopes for final deal on Wednesday
Negotiations will then take place, in which the three institutions will be led by Minister Coveney, the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and Commissioner Dacian Ciolos.
The Council will finalise its consideration of the issues tomorrow and it is hoped to conclude the negotiations with an agreement in Brussels the following day.
Farmers protest in central Dublin
The Minister concluded by saying "I am keenly aware of the significant challenges we face over the coming days. We are all new to this process, and we have to reach agreement on a number of highly sensitive issues on which the institutions have very strong views".
He has called on all sides to approach the negotiations "in the same constructive manner that had characterised the process in the last number of months".
Seperatly, groups representing Irish farmers will gather in Luxembourg.
The General-Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) is Eddie Punch. He says the talks today are extremely important for Irish farmers.
Watch excerpts from the discussions below:
