MEP Barry Cowen has organised a conference this week on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The event will take place at the Mullingar Park Hotel in Co. Westmeath tomorrow (Thursday, April 9).

Cowen is the lead negotiator for the Renew Europe political group in the European Parliament on the reforms for the next CAP.

The event tomorrow will include lead CAP negotiators from other political groups in the parliament.

The event is being hosted in conjunction with Renew Europe and Fianna Fáil, which is a member of Renew Europe.

The event is billed as bringing together key European voices at the centre of negotiations on the next CAP, offering an opportunity to hear directly from "those shaping its direction and to engage in discussion on what it means for Ireland".

The event is set to begin at 5:30p.m tomorrow evening.

It will kick off with opening remarks from Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs.

A panel discussion will follow featuring Cowen as well as the lead CAP negotiators for the two largest European Parliament parties.

These are German MEP Norbert Lins, for the European People's Party (EPP) - of which Fine Gael is a member - and Italian MEP Dario Nardella, for the Socialists and Democrats.

There will then be a questions and answers session for the audience.

Cowen said the event will be a "timely an substantive discussion on the future of farming and rural communities across Europe".

Norbert Lins

Lins, one of the leading figures in both the European Parliament's agriculture committee and the EPP, will have other engagements in Ireland this week.

The German MEP will also visit the University College Dublin (UCD) Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare tomorrow.

He will be joined there by his EPP colleague, Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh.

The two MEPs are set to meet key stakeholders from across the agricultural sector to discuss generational renewal, young farmers and the long-term sustainability of Irish farming.

Speaking ahead of the visit to Lyons Farm, Walsh said: "My focus is on ensuring MEP Lins hears directly from young Irish farmers to inform his work in Brussels."