The future of Europe’s agriculture policy shouldn’t be held hostage by the EU’s budget impasse, Ireland’s agricultural minister said in calling for negotiations to move forward even if final figures on spending are unknown until spring.
Simon Coveney, the Irish agriculture and food minister, said on Tuesday (18 December) that winning agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013 was a priority for his country as it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on 1 January, EurActiv reports.

He said another priority would be concluding agreement on the Common Fisheries Policy, which like the CAP is under review in the European Parliament.

Some of the most contentious proposals in the CAP – including measures aimed at setting higher environmental standards and equalising direct payments to farmers from eastern and western countries – are on hold until national leaders agree on the EU’s overall operating budget for 2014-2020.

“We can build the policy principles,” Coveney said of the CAP, “and we will be able to carry on the talks very quickly” when the budget is decided.

The EU’s 27 national leaders failed at a summit in November to reach accord on how to carve up a long-term budget of just under €1 trillion, choosing to postpone action until after the first of the year. The Irish government has previously said it would not tolerate cuts to farm support, but may have to find a more centrist position in its presidency role.

Without a budget framework, nearly all EU programmes have been thrown into doubt, including the two largest, agriculture and cohesion.