A provisional deal has been reached between the European Union and EU governments on reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The agreement sets out how €270 billion of budget funds will be spent on farms until 2027.
This follows a three year struggle over the future of CAP, and the deal hopes to balance the interests of farmers and national governments on one side and green interests of the European Commission.
Although representatives from EU member states and European Parliament have reached an agreement, EU agricultural ministers and European Parliament must formally approve it.
Minister for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, welcomed the preliminary agreement but said it had been a challenging process getting 27 member states, as well as three institutions of the EU to come together and reach an agreement.
Minister McConalogue said his officials will study the details of the agreed proposals when they are made available.
The Minister added it had been critical that Ireland has the flexibility to develop its own national CAP plan. In the summer months the Department will be engaging with farmers all over the country to bring their input to the national plan.
However, the Irish Farmers’ Association described the provisional agreement as “a bad deal for Irish farmers”.
IFA president Tim Cullinan concluded: “The combined effects of the proposal will decimate a cohort of farmers in Ireland. The Minister must push for further flexibility for farmers.”
LSL News.