Cowen calls on Government support for increased CAP funding

Fianna Fáil MEP for Midlands North-West, Barry Cowen, has urged the Irish Government to show leadership on the future of farming by committing to increased national funding for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Speaking during a meeting of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) Committee with Commissioner Christophe Hansen, MEP Cowen said national Government's must face up to the reality that without stronger commitments, farm incomes and food security will remain under threat.

While recognising that the EU budget is under pressure from multiple competing priorities, MEP Cowen said the solution cannot be to leave farmers behind. He highlighted that alongside major increases in defence and security spending, proportional commitments to food security must also be made.

He pointed to opportunities within the current CAP framework that would allow Member States to provide additional resources, including the use of non-ringfenced amounts in the National Regional Partnership Fund (NRP Fund) and greater scope for co-financing innovative and succession-focused measures.

MEP Cowen warned that while the structures are in place, they will only deliver if Governments are willing to act. He said the onus is now firmly on national authorities to use the flexibilities available and provide the necessary funding to guarantee viable farm incomes and protect Europe’s food systems.

“There has been a lot of negativity around these proposals, but the reality is that there are real possibilities to secure proper funding for the CAP. The question is whether governments, including my own, are willing to front up and pay for it.

“We have seen defence and security budgets increase significantly in recent years. That is understandable, but it must go hand in hand with a pro-rata increase for food security. Without that balance, we risk undermining our farmers and jeopardising our long-term resilience," MEP Cowen said.