Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said he believes that "complacency has crept in" across Europe when it comes to food security.

The minister was speaking at the Irish Farmers' Association's (IFA) AGM in Dublin today (Tuesday, January 13), addressing key issues such as the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The negotiations on the European Commission’s proposals for the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034, which includes the CAP, have now commenced, the minister said.

"The proposed CAP allocation represents a reduction of approximately 20% compared with the current period, which is a serious concern for me and government," Minister Heydon told farmers.

He said this level of reduction would have "real consequences for farm incomes, rural viability and environmental delivery".

"My position is clear - I cannot support a weakening of the CAP budget," he said.

"The next CAP must be adequately resourced to ensure a fair, stable income for producers and to maintain food security across Europe."

The minister said while it is "not something we’ve ever taken for granted here in Ireland", he does "believe complacency has crept in across Europe when it comes to food security".

New proposals

The minister said he welcomes recent proposals during last week’s meeting of EU agriculture ministers which set out additional flexibility that could potentially support agriculture and rural areas, including earlier access to mid-term review resources and a rural investment target.

"However, these proposals need careful examination, and I am concerned that they are not sufficient," he said.

"My priorities remain unchanged: a CAP that is straightforward for farmers, flexible, responsive to national needs, and with a budget that matches that ambition."

He said while the "timelines are tight", Ireland holds the EU presidency later this year and the minister said it is his intention to make progressing the reforms a "central part" of the presidency.

Mercosur

The minister said that last week's European Council vote on Mercosur was a "very significant vote".

He said that the Irish government "voted very clearly", and that "there is no doubt in the way government voted".

He said people "shouldn't be surprised" by the government's decision to vote against Mercosur, as it was a commitment in the programme for government.

Minister Heydon also highlighted that Ireland has raised concerns about Mercosur over a number of years, particularly in relation to the deal's potential impact on the beef and poultry sectors, the strength of its climate and sustainability commitments and the food safety and environmental standards enforced by Mercosur countries.

"When you see beef produced using hormones which are banned in the EU entered the Irish market last year, the concern and anger both here, and among consumers and over the last number of weeks and years is entirely understandable I believe," Minister Heydon said.

He added that this "rattled consumers' confidence".

Safeguards

According to the minister, while improvements were made to the overall agreement, including through the proposed regulation on safeguards, "ultimately, the recent additional commitments are not sufficient to satisfy the concerns of our farmers and consumers".

"We have followed through on our commitment under the programme for government and voted against the agreement," he added.

"We await the outcome of that process, and we cannot pre-empt what the outcome might be."

The minister said he intends to "ensure the commitments that have been made by the commission in terms of stepping up checks and audits are honoured".

"And, if necessary, the agreed safeguards are rigorously enforced," he added.

"It is the mantra that Europe’s food safety standards are non-negotiable. We have to reassure farmers and consumers that that is indeed the case."